Tangled Up in My Heart
by Crazyeight
Summary: Neither of them quite meant for it to happen, but against their better judgment, it did, and now, faced with this new trial, Takato and Rika will learn anew what it means to love and to trust.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Tangled Up in My Heart

Chapter: 01/ That Night of Dreamland

"There we are."

Rika popped open a box and began to sort through it, pulling out plates and small dishes, setting them in the hands of a smaller, brown-haired, amber-eyed young woman.

"Now we just need to find the glasses and things to eat with…"

"And to cook with," Jeri added. The fire-haired woman nodded in agreement before continuing without missing a beat.

"…and we'll be set."

Rika cast her gaze about, her expression thoughtful. All around her lay a fortress of boxes in an otherwise bare apartment. Today was the culmination of planning a new chapter in her life – living away from her childhood home – and yet it still felt alien to her.

 _Not quite like home yet,_ she thought. _Ten years ago, I never thought about leaving it, and now…here I am._

She curled her fingers into the palms of her hands, still unable to shake off the unrealism of it all. Leaving her old home; leaving her family and making a new life for herself… If she hadn't been so eager to get out of the house, she honestly would have felt more nervous.

 _Without Mom constantly getting on my case, I wouldn't even be here._

 _Harrumphing_ to herself a bit in irritation of her mother and her nagging, she drew up a leg and glanced out the window, the Shinjuku government building in plain view. The once-upon-a-time source of her childhood adventures brought to mind the fleeting image of a yellow-furred, bipedal fox.

 _"You can't go around expecting her to come back,"_ she remembered her mother saying. _"And you can't expect to be a Tamer forever. Not when they're gone. It's time you grew up, Rika."_

"Rika?"

"Hm?" Broken out of her reverie, she looked over at Jeri as she pointed indicatively at a box.

"This one's unmarked, and I'm not seeing any others for the kitchen."

Rika sighed and climbed to her feet. "Takato or Kazu probably forgot to label them," she grumbled. Making her way over to her friend, she tore the tape off and opened the box, only to sigh in disgust.

"What's wrong?" Jeri asked, peering over her shoulder, a split second later her eyes lit up and she reached in, pulling out a fashion magazine with Rika's smiling face on the cover, swirling a dress about in her hands. Rika made a disgusted face, wanting to wretch at the sight. It was completely the opposite of everything she was.

 _I still can't believe I let Mom get me into her business… Ugh._

"You're so pretty!" Jeri squealed, lifting the magazine high above her head as she spun around like a dancer. "I've been meaning to buy this issue ever since you told me you were going into modeling!"

"Please don't," Rika groaned, stalking away from her friend in search for another unmarked box to open. "I only did it because it shut Mom up. She wouldn't leave me alone about my career plans and working part time at Takato's place wasn't cutting it."

Rika scowled, remembering how she started at the bakery to earn a little spending money and to give her work experience for the future. Yet, as time passed, she found that she had…settled. All the drive she had previously had vanished it seemed without Renamon, her digimon partner, and without school or university pushing her to succeed anymore, she drifted aimlessly, eventually hardly leaving her home except to go to work. Everyone noticed, and of all of her family and friends, her mother began to really push on her to do something more than bake bread and man a cash register part time. Something that would ensure that she could maintain a comfortable life.

 _"Your grandmother and I aren't going to be able to support you forever, you know,"_ her mother had told her in her old, authoritative tone. _"And your job at your friend's place won't be able to pay the bills for this house._ Especially _not part time."_

The arguments between them had grown thick in the house, but aside from an interest in Motor Cross, Rika couldn't think of a thing that she wanted to do, and eventually she just gave up resisting.

So now she was on the cover of her mother's company magazine.

And she hated it.

Jeri gave her a pitiable look as she lowered the magazine. Rika hated that look too. She saw it too often from her friends and family over the years and even without the timespan, she loathed pity _period._

 _I don't want pity,_ she thought darkly. _I just want understanding._

Jeri turned the magazine over, heaving a sigh.

"Well, I still think you look nice. I wish I looked half as good as you do."

"You look _fine,"_ Rika snorted. "And if you or anyone else can't see that, then you all need to get your heads examined."

She winced at her words, remembering how Jeri needed to see a professional psychiatrist after her own experiences years ago, when the malevolent entity known only as the D-Reaper had forced her to live her traumas over and over to fuel its power and evolution. She relaxed however when she saw Jeri simply sticking her tongue out at her before giggling.

"Easy for you to say, Ms. Daughter of a Famous Model who's now a model herself."

Sighing, Rika marched over to her friend and plucked the magazine out of Jeri's hands.

"You worry too much about stupid things. Besides, _you'd_ make a better model than me."

Jeri opened her mouth as if to protest when the buzzer from downstairs caught their attention. Making her way over, she hit the reply button, already guessing who it was.

"Takato? Is that you? You two sure took your sweet time getting back."

 _"It's Kazu actually,"_ came the voice of the man whose very grin made Rika's smile drop, thinking immediately of a wolf. _"But Chumley's here with me. We've got grub and drinks."_

"Come on up," Rika replied, unlocking the door for her two friends, the only friends other than Jeri she could count on at present to help her with the move. She glanced at Jeri to gauge her reaction, and not for the first time. The girl was smiling as well, albeit a bit devilishly, causing Rika to narrow her eyes at her, her lips changing direction southward into a frown.

"What's that look for?"

"What's what look for?" Jeri giggled, a knowing tone in her voice before searching about her in the forest of boxes, her good humor quickly evaporating. "Honestly, what did those boys do with the kitchen gear? I would have thought Takato would remember he would need them to, you know, _cook_ with and would want them handy."

"I bet that was more Kazu," Rika chuckled, slipping the magazine back into its box, taking care to bury it as deeply as possible. "Takato can be a Gogglehead, but he's not an _airhead_ like Kazu is."

She smiled faintly at the thought of their haphazard friend who, once upon a time, had worn a pair of yellow-rimmed, plastic goggles as though he were the lead hero in one of the grand adventure stories that he used to watch as a kid.

 _I wonder whatever happened to his goggles,_ she thought, remembering how they seemed to just vanish when he turned 14, about the same time she began working for his parents part time. She brushed the thought aside though, not feeling that it held any importance. Not when there were more important things to consider.

 _I wonder what he's got planned for dinner…_

A faint blush rose on her cheeks and to distract herself, she tore into another box.

"So how's your job prospects going?" she asked. At this, Jeri made a dark face that quite shocked the taller, red-haired woman.

"Okay," she said, planting her hands on her hips. "Who do I need to hit?"

"Huh?" Jeri's head snapped up and she quickly shook it. "N-No one! Kami! It's just… The proficiency exams are…frustrating, and…and I have to write an essay too and provide a demonstration lesson and… Ohhh…" She pressed a hand to her forehead, groaning in pain and annoyance. "It's just so… _frustrating_ becoming a teacher! And I'm not even guaranteed to get hired, and if not… I have to go through it all over again!"

Her shoulders sagged. "I have maybe a one in five chance of being hired, but I don't know where it might be either. I might end up far away from home. I…don't know how Ms. Asaji did this back when we were kids."

Rika faintly remembered Jeri, Takato, Kazu and Kenta's stories about their old teacher, Ms. Asaji and how strict she had been in the beginning of their adventures. Takato and Kazu especially felt that she had been out to get them with the numerous detentions they accrued under her tutorship.

"People usually find a way," Rika shrugged. "At least, if they want something bad enough."

Jeri brought one hand over her wrist and massaged it gently. Rika watched curiously, remembering how the wrist she rubbed once had a sock puppet riding it that she would use to communicate with as a child. The habit, it seemed had died, but the coffin remained quite noisy.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it though," Jeri said softly. "When I think of what I gave up to become a teacher…"

Before Rika could question her on this, the door to the apartment opened, and in walked Takato and Kazu, both of them lifting their grocery bags, wide, beaming smiles on their faces.

"The triumphant heroes have returned!" Kazu crowed. "Price markdown on the meats by the way! We had to beat people off with sticks to get this stuff!"

"Great." Rolling her eyes, Rika sauntered up to Takato, who was carrying the lion's share, and took one of his bags. "Getting into trouble without me again?"

The crimson-eyed man grinned. "He's exaggerating, but we did end up getting yelled at by an old lady when Kazu stopped to get sake. Something about how 'young people like us' are the reason why everything's going down the tube."

"It goes great in cooking!" Kazu sniffed in annoyance. "I thought everyone knew that, but she went all postal on about how we're going to cause trouble…"

"And I'm sure she was right about you," Rika chuckled, eyeing him suspiciously as she waited for the other shoe to drop. Kazu sniffed again.

"It's just sake…"

"You bought shōchū and baiju," Takato pointed out.

"Those are house-warming gifts!"

"You bought five bottles! _Big_ ones!"

"Well, obviously we're not drinking them all tonight, Chumley…"

"If we leave it to you, we probably will," Jeri giggled, grabbing Kazu's bag from him with a clink. "I think _I'll_ be the one in charge of rationing it."

"Awww…"

"No complaining!" Jeri said sharply to Kazu, giving him a dark, menacing look. Laughing lightly, Kazu lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

"All right. All right. You've worked at a tavern after all, and you're a teacher too." With a bow, Kazu grinned. "Just whatever you do, don't give me detention or cut me off, Ms. Katou."

"Ohhh… You… _Kazu!"_

"Those two, right Rika?" Takato laughed as he and his red-haired friend decided to take the opportunity to make their getaway toward the kitchen and leaving the two alone for the time being.

"Just about always, but Kazu has that way of making anyone mad. I'd think it's the hair gel, but then, I know him _too_ well."

Takato glanced over his shoulder at their slick-haired friend, looking surprisingly smart in his casual, business attire. University, it seemed, had done wonders in teaching him about how to be presentable.

"He does get it done somehow," he noted.

"I'll give him that," Rika admitted, thinking of how she had drifted since graduating before the two of them set their bags on the kitchen counter. "Anyway, what'd you two get?"

"The usual odds and ends." Takato grinned. "Also chicken gizzards, since I know how much you like them."

"Looks like _somebody_ knows _me_ too well." Smirking, Rika gave her friend a bump with her hip before digging into the bag. She paused however, as something within caught her eye. With a critical eye, she withdrew a fashion magazine, a copy of the very same one Jeri had seen earlier, and turned towards Takato, clearly expecting an explanation.

"All right. What's _this_ doing here?"

"Huh?" Takato lifted a quizzical pair of eyebrows at his friend. "Is…that bad? I kind of wanted to show you some support since you just started working as a model." His smile returned, though it was now tempered by cautiousness, well aware from long history how Rika could get when annoyed by something or someone.

"You look great by the way," he added, hoping that would defuse the situation a little, knowing her secret fondness for compliments, especially when they came from him because, as she told him, he was the most honest about it. "I mean…you always look great. I'm just saying I'm not surprised you're on the cover."

Rika however, simply _harrumphed,_ clearly unhappy.

"I'd rather you _not_ see those pictures of me," she scowled. "They're not the _real_ me. Just some dolled up version that pretends to like being gawked at and ogled over by complete strangers."

Tilting his head in sympathy, he chewed on his lower lip before responding.

"Is it any consolation that I know the real you and like the real you better than the you that's on the cover?"

A light blush again arose on Rika's cheeks and she shifted from one foot to the other.

"A little bit," she admitted. "But…I still don't want you seeing those pictures of me. They're _not_ the real me."

Takato mulled this over for a bit as he took out some of his bag's contents and laying them out on the counter before finally nodding.

"Okay," he said. "I promise. From now on, only the real you and nothing else."

Unseen, Rika's blush only deepened at his words.

"I…won't stop you from _having_ them though," she added, feeling suddenly flustered. "I know I don't go out of my way to show you the real me…"

Rika found herself cut off midsentence as Takato unexpected swung his arm around her shoulder and drew her close, giving a companionable hug.

"A promise is a promise," he smiled. "The real you and nothing else."

Takato gave her one final squeeze before retracting his arm from the furiously blushing woman who, unbeknownst to him, couldn't decide whether to glare at him or shrug the whole thing off. After several moments she opted to glare at him. Seeing this, Takato's nervous smile returned.

"Bad?"

"No…" Rika admitted, looking away. "Good. Just…unexpected."

Her lips curved slightly upward as she thought back to the feel of his touch on her shoulder. How warm and close he felt.

"But…unexpected isn't a bad thing. Maybe you should try doing that more often."

"Eh?" Takato's eyes widened at that. "Doing more hugs? Or just being unexpected? Wait… Are hugs unexpected? Or… Er…"

With red creeping into his face, his tongue became completely twisted about itself, and he quickly found himself unable to speak properly. The pair's eyes turned up toward one another, and after a minute, Rika gave a light, embarrassed laugh and began to route through the bag of groceries once more, suddenly realizing why Takato could get so flustered after he put his foot in his mouth.

"All right," she said quickly, opting to change the subject. "Let's get this ship started. Where's the gizzards?"

"T-This bag here, I think," Takato replied just as quickly, digging around in an attempt to distract himself from trying to think too closely on Rika's words. Unfortunately, they lay there, at the back of his mind, teasing him just beyond his reach.

"Er… Somewhere?" he continued, feeling that he had just been struck blind by the whole ordeal. What did Rika mean?

 _Man… Even after all these years of being her friend and working closely with her, she still finds a way to tie me into knots._

Frowning, he forced himself to throw all of his attention to his work. "Maybe it's…oh! Here we go! Right in front of me."

Drawing out the gizzards in question, Takato flashed Rika a triumphant smile, who regarded him with some amusement, having seen the impact her words had on him.

 _Always something so simple,_ she thought. _But then…it's not like he doesn't return the favor either. Every time he puts his foot in his mouth…_

"If nothing else," she remarked, letting the thought trail off before it could march down memory lane, "you're reliable when it comes to my favorite food."

"Hey! You can give me more credit than that! I'm plenty reliable. You've seen me in the kitchen, like that one time we had that fire. Remember? Your first year with us?"

"Fair enough," she replied, playfully bumping him again with her hip. "I…"

She paused, sensing an odd silence before turning, finding Jeri and Kazu watching them, the pair grinning devilishly. Her scowl returning, Rika turned to face them, hands planted on her hips in an authoritative manner.

"All right. What's that look for?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jeri giggled.

"If it were, I wouldn't be asking."

"We'll let you figure it out," Kazu laughed, turning away. "It's fun watching you squirm, especially when it involves Chumley."

"Say wha…?" the red-eyed man gawked in surprise. "Why am I a part of this all of a sudden?"

Neither of their friends seemed particularly interested in answering, instead scurrying off to help finish locating all the eating utensils. The pair exchanged glances before Takato simply shrugged and went back to work, pulling out the supplies to get them ready for preparation.

"All right… Green onions… Eggs… Seaweed…"

"Here's a knife for the onions," Rika said, passing him the tool in question from an earlier unpacking without missing a beat, the two of them quickly fell into their work routine. "I'll take the eggs and get the tissues ready for you. Those onions look _really_ fresh."

"Oh great… Give _me_ the onions."

"Can't help it." Rika flashed him a grin and gave his shoulder a light tap with her fist. "I'm not giving Kazu the satisfaction of seeing me tear up. So that leaves you for the chopping block."

Opening her fist, she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a soft squeeze. "Don't worry. I'll make it up to you."

Takato chuckled, blushing lightly at her touch.

"The sacrifices I make… But it's worth it."

"That's the spirit. Now where's that cutting board?"

"Right here!" Jeri beamed, lifting one from a box triumphantly. Hurrying on over, she handed the cutting board off to Takato, who quickly set it down and began his work.

"Shouldn't Rika be the one on the sidelines and us doing the cooking?" Kazu asked, looking up from a box. "I mean, it's her first day here and she really busted her butt with all the moving, even with us helping. Shouldn't she be relaxing or something?"

"You'd have a better chance convincing an avalanche of that than Rika," Takato laughed, cutting off the stem end of the first onion and flipping it around to slice off the roots. He moved quickly, hoping to get it done as fast as possible before the onion fumes got to him.

"Got that right," Rika smirked as she headed back into the maze of boxes where she remembered seeing a box containing some pans. "No way I'm sitting still. Besides, Takato's bound to get himself into _some_ kind of trouble without me watching his back."

"You make it sound like I'm always getting into some kind of mess."

"That's because every time I saw you, you were. Right from the very beginning."

Takato frowned as he began to cut up another onion.

"You know… You _were_ trouble for me at the very beginning," he remarked, a small, playful grin touching his features as he remembered his first encounter with Rika, which was to plow his digimon partner, Guilmon, into a fence with her own partner, Renamon.

Rika tugged out a pan, her eyes dancing with memory. "Exactly my point. You're like a magnet for trouble."

"And you're the opposite that got attracted," Kazu smirked.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I think he means your trouble is the kind that ends up good in the end," Jeri coughed, seeing Rika's annoyed expression. Her eyes swiveling over to Takato, concern suddenly writ itself upon her face. "Takato? Are you…?"

"It's the onions," he replied, rubbing an arm over his eyes. Blinking them, he shook his head, tears spilling freely down his face. "Wow. Yeah, Rika, you weren't kidding."

"Hard to tell when she is," Kazu grinned, beginning to check boxes once more for eating utensils. "I mean, unless she's giving you the evil smirk of doom, she's got a heck of a poker face."

Returning to the kitchen, Rika placed the pot in the sink and flipped the water on.

"I don't kid when it comes to cutting onions. I've had my fair share of them." Glancing at her friend, she tilted her head, a bit worried. "That bad, huh? Do you need…?"

"Here you go," Jeri interrupted, coming up from behind with tissues in hand. Taking one of them, she rose up on the toes of her feet and began to dab at Takato's eyes.

"H-Hey!" Takato stammered out before giving a light, embarrassed laugh. "Jeri… Come on…"

Giggling, Jeri continued to dab at the young man's eyes, finding his reaction to her ministrations cute and endearing, reminding her of days long gone by, from just before their entry into middle school, when everyone seeing one another began to become difficult. However, movement from Rika caught her attention, breaking her out of her reverie. She paused, looking at the fire-haired woman more fully, seeing the blank expression on her face as she stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the scene next to her.

And, from the corner of her eye, she saw Takato looking at her with worry as well.

"Sorry," Jeri said quietly, flashing Rika an embarrassed and apologetic smile, causing her to shift uncomfortably and blush lightly at having been seen through.

Takato furrowed his brow, sensing that something had passed between them that he wasn't aware of.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said, forcing a smile on his face in the hopes of stopping up the odd tension that had suddenly filled the room. "But thanks for the help."

"N-No worries," Jeri replied, feeling a bit like a heel now, but eager to put the awkward moment behind them. "Um… I-Is there anything I can do to help?"

Rika lifted her violet-eyes and met Jeri's amber ones, an apology written within them. Before she could say anything however, Kazu gave a surprised holler from the living room.

"Whoa! _Purple,_ Rika? And so lacy!"

Rika closed her eyes and set her teeth against one another, realizing she had forgotten a rather important box that needed labeling…and placing somewhere more _private._ Checking Takato, as he had turned to see what the commotion was about and upon seeing how his eyes went wide as saucers before he abruptly turned around with a jerk, she considered her suspicions _more_ than confirmed.

"Cover for me while I hide his body," she said, crushing an egg in one hand while heat bloomed across her face once more. "That'll help plenty."

 **###**

A pair of chopsticks clinked in a dish as Kazu – now sporting a bruise on his left cheek bone – leaned back, breathing in contentment.

"Damn, that was good," he breathed, patting his now full stomach happily.

"How would _you_ know?" Rika asked, lifting an eyebrow as she popped a piece of chicken gizzard into her mouth. You barely took the time to taste it."

"I can taste as quick as I eat." Lowering his head, his cheeks puffed out slightly and he let out a loud belch. "Sometimes twice…" he added, patting his chest.

 _"Kazu!"_ Takato and Jeri both reprimanded simultaneously while Rika looked on, her expression deadpan.

"Disgusting…"

"Yeah, I know." Taking up his glass of sake unapologetically, he knocked it back in one gulp before continuing. "But even without me setting off car alarms as a compliment to the chefs, you and Chumley made this together. So, it's always going to be good."

"You're _really_ trying to butter me up for what you pulled earlier aren't you?"

"No, I mean it," Kazu insisted before holding out his cup for Jeri. "Hit me up?"

"Last one," Jeri frowned. "You've had a lot already."

"Fine… Fine…" Kazu rolled his eyes as he continued to hold out his glass. The brunette took it and, after refilling it, passed it back.

"Look, I know I'm not the kind of guy who says nice things and everything. I know I'm _not_ like Takato who can cause a hurricane whenever he compliments Rika…"

"Bu-wha…?!" Takato choked while Rika blushed furiously. "What are you talking about? Kazu, don't be ridiculous!"

"Who's being ridiculous? Iknow that whenever the two of you are together, working on something…I don't know. It's…kind of like magic happens. So…yeah. Your guys' food was magic today, just like those kitsune cookies you made for the bakery, Rika."

"That's because they make their food with love," Jeri giggled, earning her a hard look from the blushing Rika while next to her, Takato took a deep drink from his sake to distract himself. "That's really the best magic there is."

 _"Very_ subtle," Kazu snorted. "And it doesn't seem to be helping Kenta. Last he was talking to me about this girl he was seeing, he was babbling worse than Chumley is right now."

"I'm… _not_ babbling badly or anything," Takato frowned behind a sip. "I haven't had _that_ many drinks yet."

"How many _have_ you had?" Rika asked, shifting in her seat so she was facing him more fully. At that, Takato lifted his eyebrows, lowering his glass.

"Um… Okay, I actually lost count…"

Sighing, Rika glowered at Jeri.

"I _thought_ you said you were going to ration this stuff."

"I did! I am!"

"Not exactly doing a good job," Kazu chuckled. "But you've always had a bit of a soft spot for Chumley."

"Kazu…" Jeri growled, shooting him a warning look. Takato looked at them quizzically, sensing as though something were passing between them that only they knew.

"Um… Is there something going on here?"

"Nah," Kazu shook his head. "Jeri just spoils you more because you two used to be together."

 _"Kazu!"_

The man in question blinked as both Takato shouted at him, practically rising to his feet, his face flushed and his hands drawn into tight fists, the eyes of the two women on him in surprise. Sensing that he had touched a nerve, he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. I didn't know it was that big of a deal."

"Easy there, Takato. You're letting the sake do all the talking there," Rika said, taking hold of his wrist and tugging slightly, indicating for him to sit back down, once more surprised by how his normally quiet nature could be roused into a roaring dragon. Explosions like this were quite rare to the point that it was easy to forget that he could even _get_ angry about something.

 _Even when remembering that time in the digital world when he had Guilmon digivolve to Megidramon,_ she thought, giving Takato's wrist a soothing squeeze as the tension in his body began to die back.

Seeing how everyone was now looking at him now, a flash of pain crossed Takato's features and he looked away, ashamed.

"Sorry," Takato said, releasing his fists and plopping back down, his expression sour from memory. "She just…doesn't like talking about… _us."_

Hearing this, Jeri cocked an eyebrow at him.

"That's…not why I was…" she began, her eyes flicking over to Kazu, reading his eyes. Now Rika saw something pass between them and she tilted her head to one side questioningly.

"All right, you two. What's up?"

"It's…It's nothing…" She shot a meaningful look at Kazu, causing Rika to narrow her eyes. Her expression almost read like a signal.

 _Help me._

"How's your sempai, Takeshi?" Kazu grinned, and at once Jeri's face bloomed like a field of roses opening all at once.

 _"Not_ your business!" she exploded. "And it's _Takeru! Ta. Ke. Ru!"_

Rika arced an eyebrow.

 _Oh…_

Realization bloomed in her mind and she glanced quickly at Takato to see how he was doing. He didn't appear to be the least bit surprised by the suggestion of Jeri having someone else she gave her heart to, and even smiled a little watching Jeri and Kazu square off, though he continued to look a bit shaken by his earlier outburst.

Quite unexpectedly, Rika found herself relaxing a bit at his easy acceptance of Jeri's newfound love – if that's what the whole thing was about – and turned to watch the fireworks as they went off between their two friends.

"You mean Ta. Pe. Ru," Kazu laughed teasingly. "Or if you want, I can shorten it to _TP."_

"Kazuuu…"

"Better listen to her," Rika laughed, keeping a worried eye on Takato as he took another deep drink and appeared to waver in his seat, crimson painting his cheeks brightly. "She sounds like she's ready to pounce and you've already got _one_ bruise on your face. Or are you looking for a matching set?"

"I have one thing to say to that," Kazu laughed before belching again, this time even louder than before.

"Manners, Kazu!" Jeri exclaimed.

"Forget it, Jeri. You might as well be trying to train an ape."

"Just take it as a compliment," Kazu grinned. "The grub was awesome!"

"A compliment doesn't have to be so gross," Jeri replied, wrinkling her nose as the man burped again. "And it doesn't speak well for what _else_ you would call a compliment."

"Bathroom's _that_ way," Rika added. "And if you make a mess, I'm not allowing you back in here. _Ever._ You're lucky I'm letting you even _stay_ after what you did earlier. How do you even keep a _job_ when you behave like this?"

"Hey, I may not be the most civilized person around, but that doesn't mean that I'm _that_ disgusting out in public," Kazu laughed. "Decorum and all that."

"Ohhh man…" Takato chuckled dryly, trying to become a part of the conversation again, as the room swam before his eyes. Hoping to keep from falling over, he leaned his head onto one hand, forcing a grin on his face. "I'm surprised you even know what that word even _means._ Japanese was never your strong point when we were kids."

"I eventually figured out I needed to clean up to go out in the world and make money," Kazu replied with a touch of haughtiness in his voice. "Got to at least _look_ respectable, but at the end of the day, I still like to wrestle in the mud. It's how I relax after being put in a pressure cooker all day long. Everything's got to be picture perfect all the time…" He looked at Rika. "You know what that's like, right?"

"Unfortunately," Rika sighed. "And I wish I didn't feel like I needed a shower for agreeing with _you_ of all people."

"You too, Chumley. And Jeri." Leaning back on his spot, he lifted a knee and draped an arm over it, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "Rika has to put on a mask for the camera. Takato for customers. Jeri for everyone she has to prove herself to so she can become a teacher. And sooner or later that's going to mean the same act for students. We all got to put the brakes on things and just… _pretend_ we're happy to see everyone around us, including those we would rather not. Places like home… Moments like this…" He spread his arms outward, indicating the apartment. _"This_ is where we can take the mask off and just let it all hang out."

Relaxing in his seat a little, he smirked wolfishly at how Rika and Jeri both now stared at him incredulously.

"What's that look for? Did I say something that sounded good?" As if he just told a joke, he immediately laughed out loud. "Rika, I think you actually punched some sense into my brain for once!"

"It _was_ a good punch…" Takato laughed lazily as he gazed at Rika, a wide, cheesy smile blooming on his blushing face. "The real you is so amazing… I'll keep my promise. I promise. The real you and _only_ the real you. Man, I don't know why you'd want to hide the real you. I think you're…just…so…so… Whooo…"

"Whoa, Takato!" Rika's chopsticks clattered in her dish as she grabbed hold of the tottering brunette to stabilize his swaying form. "Easy! Easy! How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm swimming everywhere at once and not going anywhere at all…" Takato mumbled, leaning his head into both hands now. Kazu snorted.

"First timer."

"I'm _not_ a first timer. I just…I just don't drink all that much. Too much stuff going on."

"I think that's _definitely_ enough for you tonight," Rika said worriedly, pushing away his glass. "Jeri? You want to get him some water so he… Oh!"

The fire-haired woman blinked in surprise as Takato began to slump forward. She caught hold of him again and leaned him toward her, allowing him to fall into her shoulder. She looked a bit embarrassed at becoming a pillow for her friend, but after a moment, she allowed a soft smile to touch the corners of her lips and she threaded a hand through the thick mop of his hair, soothing its unruly strands out gently.

"All right. I guess we're doing this for a little while, now," she said, doing her best to ignore the watchful eyes of their friends.

"S-Sorry," he murmured, trying to push himself back up and away, only for Rika to tighten her grip around him, keeping him in place.

"Come on. Don't worry about it. Just take it easy. I've got your back."

Jeri turned a fearsome glare at Kazu.

"You _had_ to get shōchū and baiju?"

Kazu shrugged and grinned.

"I put love into things I do too. I'm just a little crazy about it sometimes. Well… Crazier than Rika when she's on her period I guess…"

"Kazu?" Rika began warningly, still holding Takato as he began to mumble some nonsense about her sending him to dreamland for good. "Remember how I only gave you _one_ bruise?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll shut up now."

 **###**

"Sorry for not keeping an eye on how much Takato was drinking," Jeri said, gathering up her things as she and Kazu prepared to head out.

"What's there to be sorry for?" Kazu asked. "We got to see Chumley get a little bit tanked. Do you know how rare that is?"

Her cheeks rosy from drink, Rika leaned against the wall to steady herself, arms folded over her chest to discourage Kazu's lecherous, sake-fueled gaze.

"I think I prefer a _sober_ Takato more." Glancing at where their friend lay, drunkenly waving goodbye at their reflections in the apartment window, she allowed a small smile to touch the corners of her lips. "He's much cuter when he's putting his feet in his mouth without outside help."

Kazu snickered at that and elbowed Jeri.

"She just said he's cute." He turned back to Rika. "Nice to see you letting a little bit of the real you outside the castle walls. Too bad Chumley's missing it."

Rika narrowed her eyes in irritation, causing Kazu to chuckle.

"Aaand back behind the castle wall she goes. Ah well. Sunsets are short too. Probably why they're so pretty."

"Kazu?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Still grinning, the brown-haired man gave Rika the thumbs up.

"Are you _sure_ you don't need help watching him or to help with cleaning up?" Jeri asked, adjusting her coat.

"I'll be fine," Rika smiled, though worry was writ on her face as well as glanced over her shoulder. "I was way worse than that at your place, remember?"

"Wait, what? Something happened at… Ow! Jeri, what'd you kick me for?"

"My foot slipped," Jeri said, keeping her eyes on Rika before stepping forward, embracing her tightly.

"You two take care of each other, all right?" she whispered into Rika's ear, standing on her tiptoes as she held her. "Call me if something happens, okay?"

"Oh, for goodness sake," Rika chuckled, squeezing her back. "You're such a worrywart."

"Sorry," Jeri squeaked in her powerful embrace. "I can't help it sometimes."

Drawing back, Jeri gave her a small smile before bowing. "Anyway, goodnight you two. And take care of each other."

Opening the door, Jeri stepped out of the apartment, Kazu following closely behind. With a final goodbye Rika closed the door on her two friends with a click and leaned her head against it, the world wobbling a little bit as she did so.

"R-Really shouldn't have had so much of Kazu's housewarming present," Takato's voice wafted in from the dining area where he lay. Rika giggled uncharacteristically and spun about on one heel. Without a care now that they were alone, she half-skipped, half-wobbled on over to him, her cheeks blushing lightly, and plopped herself down right next to him.

"Awww…" she cooed, poking the young man's cheek playfully. "Poor Takato couldn't handle his sake."

"N-Not funny," he swallowed. "Man… Rika, could you…could you make the room stop spinning please? I'd like to get off it now."

Laying herself down now, Rika snuggled up to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and drawing the two of them close to one another.

"I don't know about stopping rooms, but I'll do what I can to help you out until it stops on its own." She giggled again, feeling the temperature on his face increase in intensity. Kami, she loved how flustered he could get whenever she messed with his head.

"R-Rika! Not… Not so close! I'm not…" He groaned and clenched his eyes shut, a shudder passing through his body suddenly, causing Rika to look at him with a touch of worry in her eyes.

"Takato? Are you all right?"

"Thought I was going to get sick for a second there. I'm…I'm okay now."

"Good thing," Rika grinned, drawing her hand up to his face and caressing his cheekbone tenderly. "I just got this shirt and the apartment. You throwing up over both would be a bad way to baptize them."

Takato hummed, nodding. "Maybe you should keep some distance? You know… Just in case? I don't want to ruin your shirt." Opening his crimson eyes, he smiled at the girl. "It looks good on you by the way."

"You and my shirts," Rika laughed, ruffling his hair. "Ever since we were kids!"

"It…It was just the one time!"

 _"Three_ times," Rika corrected, switching over to grinding her knuckles into his scalp, causing the young man to squirm. She responded by throwing her arm around his head and once more pulling him tight to her, squishing his face up against her cheek.

"R-Rika…!" he blushed ferociously, his voice muffled.

"Just admit it!" Rika laughed through her alcohol-driven humor. "My shirts just drive you _crazy!_ Come on, I can keep going all night until you admit it!"

"N-No! I'm… I'm… Oh nuts! Bathro…"

Heaving suddenly, Takato pushed away with surprising force and spun about in a direction _away_ from the bathroom, his own drunken stupor causing him to get lost. Not that it would have mattered as the young man shook violently, convulsed once and then proceeded to vomit onto the floor.

 _"Takato!"_ Rika exclaimed in surprise as her friend gasped, panting heavily. Clambering over to him, she knelt down by his side, violet-eyes full of worry as she placed a hand on his back, massaging it gently.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked. In her mind it was a dumb question, she knew, but there was a difference between feeling sick enough to throw up once or twice and feeling sick enough for it to get even _worse._

Slowly opening his eyes, Takato peered down at the mess beneath him, his breathing returning to something approaching normal.

"Well… It's not a weird color or anything…"

 _"Not_ funny," Rika scolded, but she smirked at him all the same. "Come on. Let's get you to the bathroom."

Helping him get to his feet, she turned him around in the proper direction and led him to where he needed to go. As she helped him settle down, she lifted the toilet seat up for him, running a hand through his hair comfortingly.

"There you go. _Now_ how are you feeling?"

Takato leaned over the toilet, his stomach still churning.

"Give me a few minutes," he said exhaustedly. Chuckling, Rika clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're lucky you've got me to watch your back," she said. "You're staying the night by the way. There's no way you're going to feel well enough to travel and I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're sober and _not_ puking up all over the place."

"T-Thanks…" the poor young man moaned into the toilet bowl. "Sorry about the mess."

Rika shrugged as she got to her feet, wobbling as she did so.

"Don't worry about it," she said, grabbing hold of the doorframe to steady herself. "I'll get you some water."

He opened his mouth to respond, but his stomach made an annoyed, gurgling sound and Takato, quick as a whip, bent back toward the toilet, groaning pitifully. Rika looked down at him sympathetically, remembering the first time she had been that badly wasted, and at Jeri's tavern no less. The time she spent over the toilet then hadn't been pleasant either, but Jeri helped her get through it with nothing more than kind words, sympathy and a towel over her head. She didn't understand what the towels were for, but they did help after a fashion.

 _Too bad I haven't unpacked them yet,_ she commiserated with a scowl before a thought occurred to her. A rather strange, almost wild thought that gave her pause, but only for a second before she shrugged and took hold of the hem of her shirt.

 _Well, since he likes it anyway…_

Drawing it up and over, she plopped it down on top of Takato's head, making sure that it fell down over his eyes to give her some privacy. Not that she expected Takato to sneak a peak once he caught wind of what she did – he was too respectful to play tidily-winks with her or any woman – but she knew all too well how he would react at even the accidental sight of her bra-clad bosom, if not the thought of it. A cute reaction, to be sure with how wide his eyes would grow and how he would stammer and stutter as a bright blush devoured his face, but one they could do without for the time being.

"Don't look," she spoke softly into his cloth-covered ear. "I'll be back."

Takato mumbled something under his breath and Rika took that as a 'yes.' Stepping out, she wandered over to the sink and grabbed a glass. Filling it up, she took a quick swig and then refilled it without even thinking about it. As she made her way back to the bathroom, she cast her violet-gaze out over her apartment flat, the sake glasses that still lay on the table alongside Kazu's bottles, the source of her friend's upset stomach. In spite of that, she could still remember the sound of laughter that filled her new home, and a small smile drew across her face. A good sound, and one that she hoped would fill the place for some time to come.

 _Hmmm… Better give his folks a call and let them know what's up,_ she thought, taking her cell phone out of her pocket. Quickly locating the bakery number, she hit the call button and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

"Hey, Mrs. Matsuki, it's Rika," she greeted as soon as she heard the woman's voice answer. "Yeah, we're fine. Well, kind of. Takato's had a bit too much to drink from Kazu's 'house-warming gift.' I'm a little worried that he'll just fall down a well or something, so I'm going to keep him over here until he can tie his own shoes without barfing."

There was a buzzing of anxiety on the other end; a mother's worry, and one that she could understand.

"No, I think he'll be fine. He just needs to sleep it off. I promise I won't keep him up past his bedtime." She giggled at her joke, but Mie didn't seem to be sedated by this.

"No, I'm not worried." She frowned at Mie's buzzing about the two of them being alone together. "This is Takato we're talking about. Drunk or not, he wouldn't try anything I wouldn't want him to."

Some more buzzing on the other end, this time sounding quite alarmed. Rika's face flushed as she realized how that must have sounded to Mie.

"Errr… No, no. Sorry, I guess I just thought you meant…" _Oh kami…_ "Anyway, I've got to check in on him. I'll call you if things go sour for him. Otherwise, we'll see you tomorrow."

With that, she hung up, pondering the matriarch of the Matsuki bakery before shrugging and pocketing the phone.

 _Something to deal with tomorrow,_ she thought. Adjusting her bra-strap absently she resumed her trek back to her friend, glass of water in hand.

"How're you doing?" she asked, reentering the bathroom.

"Better," Takato replied, lifting his shirt-covered head up at her approach. "I mean, I threw up one more time, but I think the worst of it's over now."

"Good," Rika replied, sitting herself down next to him, holding out the glass of water. "Now take this and see what happens."

Sitting up, Takato drew back the shirt before taking it and taking a deep drink. Letting out a satisfied gasp, he lowered the glass.

"Thanks Rika. I…"

Once again, Takato blinked, his eyes drawing down as his brow knotted up in confusion at the sight of Rika's cleavage, open to his gaze, a sensual valley that crested up into the swell of her breasts before slipping beneath a lacy, purple bra-line. Rika, frowning slightly at his lapse, followed his gaze and as realization dawned on the two of them, their eyes rose up to meet each other.

"Uh… Rika…?" he began carefully before looking away, searching for something that could be equally distracting for him. "You… You're… Um…"

"Y-Yeah," she stammered out, drawing an arm over her chest and hugging her arm close to her. "I know."

"Why…?"

"My apartment, my rules," she interrupted, falling back on her old bravado. "Besides. I haven't unpacked all of my things yet. I didn't want to have to go hunting for stuff like towels."

It sounded bad, she knew it, but Takato would either shut up or make things worse. Giving him a sharp glare, she indicated that 'shutting up' would be the best course of action for him.

Unfortunately, he missed it, as he continued to babble, trying to figure out what was going on, something that would have been fairly hard even if he were sober.

"I…I don't understand. You put a towel over my head, walk out and then come back without your shirt and a glass of water. Why would you…?"

He paused, and Rika could see the light bulb clicking on for him behind his eyes. He fingered the shirt she had covered his head with, and comprehension dawned on him.

"You mean…?"

"Well, you _wouldn't shut up_ about it!" Rika interrupted with a snarl, taking hold of the shirt in question and shoving it down over his face. Takato squawked.

"Hey! It was just the one time! That's not not shutting up about anything! Rikaaa…"

"Don't _Rika_ me, Takato!" she giggled before running her hand along Takato's shirt-covered face. Her expression softening, she smiled.

"Don't Rika me," she repeated, her tone gentle, continuing to run her hand across his cheek before leaning her forehead against his. "Kami, we're both a little bit out of it, aren't we?"

Taking hold of her hands, Takato lifted her shirt off, revealing his messed-up hair and his warm, red eyes. Their gazes met and, in spite of the tempting view in front of him, he held firm.

"Yeah," he agreed with a small smile of his own. "Well…more than a little. Kazu really did a number on us, didn't he?"

"I'll pay him back," Rika smirked, taking back her shirt, but not yet putting it on. "With interest."

They sat like that for a moment before Takato, starting to remember once more the situation they were in, lifted his hand indicatively towards the door.

"I…ah…I should probably get going. I'm feeling a lot better now and…"

"You're not," Rika cut in with a scowl. "I already told you, I'm not letting you get lost on your way home while you're like this. You're staying here."

"But…the others…"

"Forget them. Let them think what they want. I'm not…" She placed a hand over his. "I'm not letting you out of my sight for tonight. Not while you're like this. I don't…" Her fingers curled around his tightly as she scrunched her face up. "I don't want to risk losing you like we did our digimon."

The mention of their partners sobered them both, bringing the mood to a darker one. While their adventures from their childhood were not an off-limit topic for discussion – far from it in fact – it still left a dark cloud whenever it was mentioned. _Tsking,_ Rika felt an old familiar anger flare up in her heart, and she squeezed Takato's hand.

"You're so stupid," she grumbled. "You were going to stay, and now you want to leave because I took my shirt off."

"Sorry." Takato scratched the back of his head. "I don't… I don't mean…" Drawing his free hand about he pressed it against one eye. "Man, I…don't know how to say it. I'm just…"

"You're _just_ going to stay here. Kami, Takato. You're a _guy_ _!_ Shouldn't you be ogling me or something?"

"You _don't_ like being ogled," Takato reminded out with a frown, lowering his hand. Rika tilted her head to one side, gazing at him thoughtfully before impulsively leaning forward and kissing his forehead, earning her a sharp gasp of surprise. Leaning back, she saw Takato swing his gaze up towards hers, his mouth working, trying to form words.

"Rika…"

"Don't be a dork about this," she berated as she drew closer to him, trying to hide her obvious, fearsome blush behind another show of bravado. "We just had an indirect kiss already. Nothing wrong with a more direct one."

"Wait. Indirect kiss?" Takato's mouth fell open as his hands found their way onto her hips.

Rika's blush only deepened and she glanced away.

"I…drank out of your glass before bringing it to you," she admitted. "Another thing I wasn't thinking about apparently."

"You know… If it weren't for all the sake we were drinking…" Takato barked a harsh laugh. "I'd swear that you liked me or something."

"Yeah?" Rika lifted her head slightly, frowning down at him. "So what if I do?"

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized what she just said, something she had never spoken of to anyone or even admitted to, and yet those words had readily leapt from her mouth, stunning them both. A pall of silence fell between them, the pair becoming all too conscious of their closeness as they gazed into each other's eyes, both searching out each other's feelings with regards to her words. Feeling uncomfortable with the sudden silence, Rika, moving on impulse once more, caught his lips in her own. She felt Takato stiffen against her and his grip around her waist tighten. She bore down on him in response, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as their breath mingled, nervous, excited and heavy. Takato made a muffled sound that was half a groan, half an attempt to speak, his hands hesitantly rising to her back, as though he were trying to get her attention about something. Opening her mouth, Rika only deepened the kiss, not wanting to give him a second to make things even _more_ awkward than they already were with his incessant, blushing babble.

There remained, however, a faint taste of vomit in their kiss.

"Blagh!" Rika gagged, pulling away suddenly and spitting to the side.

"S-Sorry!" Takato stammered out breathily in utter astonishment, his eyes wide and shocked. "I…I was trying to warn you about…" He trailed off and shook his head, unable to believe what was going on. "K-Kami! Rika! What… What was all _that_ for?"

"You mean _besides_ the fact I just told you that I like you?" Rika snapped as she continued to spit, trying to rid her mouth of the awful taste.

"Ahhh…yes?" came the intelligent, but befuddled response.

"Well _someone's_ got to snatch you up," Rika grumbled in reference to his present 'availability' as she climbed off her Gogglehead to locate her mouthwash, only to remember that she hadn't even unpacked that yet either. Snatching up the glass of water she gave Takato earlier, she drained it of its remaining contents and spat into the sink.

 _Better…_ she thought, gazing at herself in the mirror. She looked a bit frazzled. Her face was a deep red, and she could see the blush working its way down into her chest. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

"And if someone's going to do it," she continued, amazed at how calm and lucid she sounded to her ears, "it's going to be me. I'm not settling for second best."

She heard Takato shift behind her, getting to his feet. Opening her eyes, she found him standing behind her, a perplexing expression on his face, as though he were trying to figure her out. No doubt her confession came as much of a surprise to him as it did to her, but before she could say anything, he, much to her own amazement, wrapped his arms about her and drew her into a hug. Her heart skipped a beat as excitement and worry surged through her body, but she hid it behind a confident smile and a happy hum. Closing her eyes, she relaxed against him, her hands taking hold of his arms, squeezing them lovingly, enjoying the feel of them around her.

"So… Decided you wanted to be snatched up by me after all?" She leaned her head against his, the end of her fire-red ponytail mingling with his chaotic mop of earthy brown. Behind her, Takato gave a light, nervous laugh.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're crazy?"

"Crazy enough to like a Gogglehead like you? No, that's a new one, but everything else, yeah. Plenty of times."

Her heart was beating even harder now; her breath coming out quicker. He was holding her! _Actually_ holding her! Responding _positively_ to her liking him! She _admitted_ to liking him! What was going _on_ with the universe all of a sudden?

Unbeknownst to her, though she could easily guess just by looking at his reflection in the mirror, Takato stood behind her, wondering the same thing.

 _This is…so nuts,_ he thought, tightening his grasp around her waist. _Man, it feels like the whole universe just became unhinged or something. Or…maybe I'm still just dizzy?_

"S-So what's the verdict?" Rika asked him, a surprising note of nervousness in her voice. He raised an eyebrow, unsure at first why she would feel anxious about anything, but then it hit him. She had just confessed to him; laid bare her heart and soul and he hadn't properly replied yet except to hug her. Kicking himself for a dope, he smiled and kissed her tenderly, just above her cheek bone. She trembled at that, nerves quaking as she tightened her grip around his arms, as if unable to believe he did that, but the smile that bloomed on her face – like some rare flower – made his heart want to hug her all the more tightly.

 _Beautiful…_

"You've got me," he answered in a soft voice. "I think you've had me for a few years now."

Rika pondered that for a minute before giggling. "So _that's_ why your goggles disappeared." Her grip loosening, she hummed in satisfaction.

"Um… Actually, I really did just misplace them," Takato admitted. Rika chuckled, massaging his arms.

"Bad Gogglehead. I'm going to have to get you new ones now."

"Eh? I thought you didn't like them because they were immature or something."

Turning about in his grasp, Rika smirked at him.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're a Gogglehead. _My_ Gogglehead. But…" Lifting her hands to his face, she stroked his jaw happily. "I guess you don't really need them."

 _Her_ Gogglehead. Those words seemed to make everything more concrete. This wasn't a dream. This…was what she wanted. What they _both_ wanted. And more. It surprised her. Even in her wildest dreams, she wouldn't have thought Takato would be so receptive, or that she would be so _welcoming_ in return. Yet, here they were. Feeling her heart quicken its pace, causing the flushing of her face to deepen, she turned her attention to _her_ Takato's eyes, gazing deep into those warm depths.

"Takato?" she began, swallowing down her anxiety.

"Yeah?"

Rika paused and reached behind her. "You said I don't like being ogled."

Unhooking her bra, she let it slide down her chest, revealing her breasts for him to see.

"Ogle away."

Takato's gaze darted down to her chest for only half a second – a part of him fearing some kind of trick on her part – before returning to her violet gaze, the crimson flooding his face darkening. His mouth worked, having found that it had suddenly run dry. This… _This_ was unexpected, and a little fast, but Rika, he knew, rarely went into things halfway.

 _Still…_ a more rational part of him thought through his alcohol-muddled thoughts. _This… This is a bit…different somehow?_

Her eyes. Something shone in them, directed _at_ him. A certain playfulness that he was long used to seeing, but there was more. An anxiety about how he would react to her showing this side of herself to him. A side that, as far as he knew, she never showed anyone before.

 _Will he hate me for this?_ was what he felt he saw in her eyes. _Will he push me away?_

"Rika…" he whispered, his hands rising up between her shoulder blades. Gathering his resolve, he drew her to him, his lips parting and pressing against hers in a loving embrace. He felt Rika shudder as she moaned against him, seemingly taken aback by this, but pleasantly so. Her hands fell to his shoulder as she shifted the angle of her face against his, deepening their kiss in response. Their breath came out quicker as they continued on, but only for a moment before Rika pulled away.

"Drink something to wash out your mouth," she whispered with a breathy chuckle. "And then we're heading to the bedroom."

 _This is actually happening?!_ Takato's mind exploded, feeling a strong part of himself twitch between his legs as she pulled away. Further thought was brushed away as she raised an eyebrow at his lack of response, and Takato quickly scrambled to correct that, fumbling with the glass the two of them drank from earlier and half-stumbling to get to the sink. A quick fill and a swig later, and in the next moment, she was pulling him in the direction of the bedroom, her melodious laughter filling the room.

"Come on. Don't be such a slowpoke."

"Slowpoke?" Takato grinned before picking up his pace. "I'll show you… Ahhh!"

"Wha…? _Whoa!"_

Takato's legs entangled with each other as they sped up, having not recovered their equilibrium just yet. He spun, trying to save his balance, but Rika's attempt to course correct him only worsened the situation, and just like that, they fell in a heap on the floor, Rika landing on top and the two of them laughing hysterically for several, long minutes before the young woman hoisted herself up, brushing aside a lock of hair.

"We're quite the tag team, aren't we?" Takato chuckled as Rika attempted to control her giggles and snorts, only to fail.

"We will be after I teach you how to dance properly." Seeing his raised eyebrow, Rika glowered playfully. "Yes, I _can_ dance. Family thing. Don't ask."

"Ohhh… _Now_ you've made me curious."

"Stay curious then." Leaning forward, Rika gave his lips a quick kiss before lifting herself up, giving Takato a full view of her swaying breasts as she did so. "I'd like to keep _some_ mystery about me for you to figure out."

"You're definitely a fun mystery, that's for sure," Takato replied, climbing to his feet. "You're always a surprise, one right after another."

"Sometimes surprises aren't bad," Rika grinned. "Do you have any more for me tonight?"

"Well…" Takato wavered on his feet and took a breath to steady himself. Once he was sure they would stay under him, he pounced, and with swiftness that caught Rika by surprise, he swept her off her feet and into his arms bridal style, causing her to look at him incredulously as he teetered briefly before righting himself.

"Takato…" she began in a warning tone, but Takato gave her a disarming smile.

"Sorry. I thought you might like being surprised."

"I _don't_ think it counts as _good_ if I have to be surprised that we didn't land on our butts again!" Laughing anyway, Rika wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and pulled herself up so that she could nuzzle him before taking a playful _nip_ at his exposed skin.

"Ow! Rika…!"

"Just get us to the bedroom, Takato. That's an order."

"Jeez…" Takato laughed, starting forward once more, taking care so as to not upset his balance any more than it already was. Excitement beat in his heart alongside nervousness. They really _were_ going to do this. Rika _wanted_ him to do this.

 _I'm…up for this, right?_ he found himself wondering as they crossed the threshold to her room. He had never come this far before. Not ever, though there were times that he wondered with Jeri, during the brief period they had dated. He had _no_ experience with pleasing a woman sexually and very little romantically. He wanted Rika to enjoy herself. He wanted to please her; to show how much he cared for her. He wanted…

He tripped on the bedroom rug and as Rika cried out in surprise, he threw himself forward, causing the pair to collapse onto the bed, this time with himself on top of Rika.

"Nice save," she laughed as she ran her hands through his hair.

"That's the job of a Tamer after all," he chuckled before leaning forward and kissing the corner of her mouth. Humming happily, she returned the favor, drawing him close to her.

"W-What would you like me to do?" he asked, his voice muffled against the edge of her jawline. He was nervous. His heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, leaving him worried that he might end up puking on her this time. So far though, the butterflies in his stomach remained caged, but he could feel them fluttering about frantically.

Rika responded by sliding her hands down his neck and dipping them beneath his shirt. Taking hold of a fistful of fabric, she gave it an indicative tug.

"Well… You _could_ start by taking your clothes off…" she suggested before kissing him again. "You know… Just a thought."

"R-Right…" Takato's heart beat loudly in his ears as he awkwardly began to help Rika pull his shirt off, a heavy _thrumming noise_ that had the feeling of pressure behind it. "Don't want you to be the only one here that's…ah…naked after all."

Drawing it up, he gagged as he found himself suddenly getting caught in the neck of his shirt, giving Rika a full view of his chest and stomach, toned from their morning exercises. His face flushing in embarrassment, he tugged and pulled, twisting his hips as though doing so would help until, finally, the shirt came off, returning his view of the world – of Rika – to him, as she began the process of unbuckling her jeans.

"Nice show," she grinned humorously, her belt clattering as she popped it loose. Smiling back, he leaned down and, seized by sudden impulse, kissed the soft, milky skin of her exposed stomach, his hands coming to rest over hers.

"You want me to do this?" he asked, his crimson gaze meeting her violet ones as he slipped his fingers around hers. Rika's breath seemed to catch in her throat for a second before nodding.

"Well… You can help."

Nodding, Takato laced his lips back to her belly, giving her tender, butterfly kisses as his fingers rose up to her belt and finished unbuckling her. His heart and mind were both going crazy, yet his body continued to operate, seemingly independently of their raging anxieties. Her jeans now loosened, he slowly, with great care, began to slip them alongside her underwear down her hips, revealing the crimson tuft of hair that lay beneath. He gazed at it in wonder before leaning into it, kissing it lovingly, causing Rika's hips to jerk against him as she gasped lightly, having not expected that.

"Ugh… T-Takato…" she whispered, threading her fingers through his hair and gripping a handful of his locks tightly. "M-More…"

Takato found himself more than happy to oblige, his hands slipping down to her rear, kneading the flesh of her buttocks experimentally as he continued to kiss along her clitoral hood, brushing against her labia. He had no idea what to do, but he was determined to at least _try_ to please her.

Rika let out a low, keening cry as his tongue washed across her labia, a series of tremors working their way along her legs. Her breath came out quicker now, and he could feel her fingers drawing all the more tightly in his hair. He squeezed her rear back in return, continuing to kiss until, finally, with another loud groan, Rika sat up, pulling away from him, leaving him looking up at her, baffled.

"Wha…? Did I do something wrong?"

"N-Nothing…" she began, shuddering as she crawled over toward him, pushing at his chest indicatively to get him to sit up. "Nothing…wrong." Closing her eyes, she shuddered again, a smile beaming on her face. "I just…just…wanted to try something else."

Opening her eyes, she gave him a mischievous, catlike look as she smirked, her fingers moving down to the button on his jeans. Her nails drew a circle about it questioningly.

"You don't mind?"

"Huh? Oh!" Takato felt the blood rushing to his face, and he nodded numbly in response. Flashing a grin, she took hold of the hem of his jeans and quickly snapped them open, her hand dipping inside his underwear and taking his hard, trembling penis into her hand.

They were both shaking now as Rika slipped him free from his underwear, baring him to her eyes as she had to him. Deep down in the haze of hormones and alcohol, Takato realized that they were about to take a major, _major_ step toward something from which there was _no_ turning back. Seeing her trembling, Takato felt his heart crack and he took her into his arms, surrounding her with his warmth

"Ah…!" Rika gasped in surprise at his unexpected, though far from unpleasant, hug. "Hey, is everything all right?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" he asked, rubbing her back. Closing her eyes, Rika shuddered again beneath his touch. Smiling at his concern for her, she brushed her cheek against his before stroking his erect penis.

"Not sure why you're asking that _now,"_ she hummed pleasantly, her motions encouraging his hands to rise up into her ponytail. Taking hold of the band that held it back, he tugged it off and her hair fell down her back in one, fluid motion, burying his hands beneath its radiance. "I'm fine with going further if you are."

Takato kissed the nape of her neck, his hands drifting back down, inching their way to her rear. Grasping hold of her posterior, he squeezed her tight. _Now_ he wasn't sure what to do, having realized that he hadn't had a chance to think much further than this. He knew roughly the details of where they were going, and yet…

"W-What do you want me to do? I'm…" Adjusting his hips, he nudged along her hand, the head of his penis brushing against the red hair that lay between her legs. He trembled at its smoothness and instinctively pushed into it. "Oh, Kami…"

Rika giggled at his awkwardness, loving every bit of it.

"Show me what _you'd_ do first," she replied huskily. "And then maybe I'll show you what I like."

"Geez…" Takato groaned as her hand encircled his shaft, pumping him, encouraging him. His mind was awhirl with a thousand thoughts and feelings, leaving him with the sense that he was walking through a dense fog. Determined to not disappoint her, he decided to go with the next instinct that came to mind and leaned forward, slowly, steadily pushing her down to the bed, his lips catching hers as he did so. Rika moaned at this eagerly, starting to kick off what little of her pants that stayed on as she worked to wiggle his own down his hips, a task made considerably awkward by their position as she found herself relinquishing her grasp on him. Takato's penis, now free, probed about, searching for her opening and, with a moan upon finding it, slipped inside its swollen warmth.

Takato gasped audibly as she squeezed down on him, her legs, now finally free of her jeans rising up and locking around his waist. _She's… Oh kami…_ "R-Rika… You feel…"

"Nnn…" Rika acknowledged, biting her lower lip, feeling him slide on in. It hurt a little bit, having never had sex before now, but much to her surprise there was no blood and the pain gave away quickly to a pleasant, needy heat from deep within her belly. Takato, it seemed, fit her just right. Taking hold of his face, she drew him back into a kiss. As though it were a signal, Takato thrust forward, and a tremor went through him. A powerful, surging heat centered around his crotch, and it sat there…pulsing…throbbing…waiting for one of them to make the next move.

"R-Rika…" he stammered out, breaking the kiss with a shudder. "I think I'm…"

He found himself cut off as Rika moaned, both their ends thrusting toward one another instinctively, meeting all the way to the hilt. The throbbing heat rolled forward like a powerful tempest, and Takato quivered as the pleasure that racked his body so far became instantly _manifold._ His penis pulsed inside Rika and he found himself frozen there on top of her, no longer capable of stopping himself or to even withdraw. He didn't know how long he lay there, quaking, unable to move as the throes of orgasm crashed upon him, one contraction after another, but when it was over – far more quickly than it had felt – he found Rika kissing him tenderly, her hands running along the back of his neck, stroking him lovingly.

"Welcome back to Earth," she hummed, feeling him relax and knowing what it meant.

"S-Sorry," he panted, forcing his hips to move again in spite of the heavy exhaustion that now crashed down onto his body. "I've…never done this before. I'm not very good at it yet."

"Don't worry about it," she replied, brushing her fingertips against his face with a playful, but comforting smile, feeling him struggling to coax life back into his member. Takato scowled, wriggling his hips.

"I just…want to help you feel good and I just went and…um…" He glanced down between them, seeing his semen leaking out of her. "I…kind of blew it…"

"We'll get you there," Rika chuckled. "Here. You want to help me with feeling good? Let me…" Frowning, she shifted with a grunt, rising onto her elbows.

"Rika?"

"Can you… On your back?" Taking hold of a shoulder, Rika nudged him with her leg. Starting to understand, Takato rolled over, Rika following quickly, pressing down hard all the while to keep him from slipping out of her.

"T-There," she said with a low groan, feeling him jerk inside her in response to their movements. She could feel that he wasn't as rigid as before, but it was clear that his body was fighting like mad to recover for her.

"So…what next?" Takato asked, his hands drifting to her hips, caressing her softly. Grinning, she leaned forward, capturing his lips in her own briefly before drawing back.

"Now…I'll help you figure out what I like and then we can go from there."

Something about the way she said that made Takato cock an eyebrow, sensing that she wasn't going to be direct in her answers.

"Just…help me figure it out?"

Rika eyed him like a cat would a cornered mouse.

"Well… You know how I like playing games, so…" Taking his hand into hers, she proceeded to guide him between her legs where their mingled essence continued to trickle out of her. Takato swallowed as he felt his fingers bump along the bulb of her clitoris.

"I'll let you know when you're getting _hot,"_ she finished, the light in her eyes dancing with mischief before leaning forward, her lips again meeting his in a tender embrace.

 _Oh kami…_ Takato blushed, proceeding to kiss her back.

The pair surrendered themselves to one another in a cry of ecstasy that lasted well until sleep claimed mastery over them.

 **###**

A/N: A year ago I wrote a scene as a oneshot, but never published it, as it was more an experiment than a coherent story and, given how it started and ended (and no, I'm not telling), would have had a number of requests for a follow up to sort things out, which I had no plans for at the time. Flipping through old works and ideas that never saw the light of day beyond my computer screen, I found the oneshot again and began to work backwards from it and over the course of a week and a half, came up with this chapter, and have plans for a couple more to follow up on it, exploring Takato and Rika in their new circumstances as well as some life stuff such as their jobs and interests. One thing that snagged my attention that I wanted to touch on about the new Tamers Drama CD (one of the _many_ things actually) concerned Rika and her brief modeling career and how her mother had forced her to do it. Information on why this occurred is sparse – having only Rika's brief statement on the matter and leaving it at that – and while it might be tempting to believe Rumiko's character development had been ignored or forgotten, I'm leaning in the direction that Rika kinda/sorta lost her direction and Rumiko was trying to either a.) get her into a decent paying career where she could at least support herself independently and/or b.) give her the boot she needed to find what she _really_ wanted to do.

I'm just spit balling here, but some of this has to do with the previous Drama CD, _Message in the Packet,_ where Henry asks Takato and Rika what their plans are for the future and neither of them have an answer. Throughout the series, Rika had shown that her primary goals and interests involved being a Tamer and being Renamon's partner and very little else. Renamon's loss of course hit her hard, and it's possible that in spite of her fears, she kept hoping for Renamon's return, going through the motions of school and excelling in that, and when it was all over and done with and Renamon still hadn't returned, she might have found it hard to adjust, not knowing what to do with herself, except for what she might consider at the time of this story, a minor hobby in motorcross that she enjoys in her spare time.

I think that just about wraps it up for this chapter at least, so until the next one then. Here's to the journey. :P

-Crazyeight

23


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The opening to this chapter was the experiment that I wrote a year ago. Some edits were done to make it fit into what was written in the previous chapter, but it's largely identical to the original. Until next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Tangled Up in My Heart

Chapter: 02/ The Dream that Vanishes Before Daylight

The sound of birds tweeting outside was the first thing that Takato heard upon waking up, causing him to grimace as the noise lanced through his head. His brain hurt, and not from thinking too hard, as his friend Rika was oft to tease him about. While he wasn't dumb, thinking was not his strong suit, particularly when it came to problem solving, though he did his best to improve this Achilles heel of his. Fortunately, he was not alone in this. If there was one thing he could count on, it was that he had his friends and family to course correct him where he went wrong.

As the warm rays of the sun filtered in through the window, he shifted against the bed he was on, one hand seeking for a pillow that he could use to blot out the noise from the birds. Eyes still closed, he frowned, marveling at the odd, warm smoothness of the bed he lay on, rising and falling rhythmically like someone breathing…

The bed grunted and shifted beneath him suddenly and his mind, slowed by the aching railroad spike pounded within it, came to the realization that _something_ was amiss. Adjusting his hands, he began to rise, mouthing barely intelligible questions as his eyes fluttered open and…

He froze suddenly. Something most _definitely_ was wrong.

What he saw before him told a great deal, but that wasn't the first thing that caught his attention. What _did_ was the odd sensation of his penis – informing him of his nudity – slipping free from something warm and sticky, and he felt a cool string of liquid connecting him to it, causing a slight chill to rise along his body. The second thing he noticed, once his mind began to finish processing all the sensory data it was receiving were a pair of breasts, rising and falling with increasing intensity, staring up at him, creamy in color. He felt his morning hardness jerk slightly in response at the sight, but questions abounded in his head and he turned his gaze up to find their owner, violet eyes framed by a sea of red hair, staring back at him, eyes wide and no less confused than he. He knew her, and she knew him, though it explained nothing about the situation they found themselves in. Nothing clicked in his mind, save for the pounding in his head.

They stared at each other for a moment, Takato Matsuki hovering over one Rika Nonaka before the young man began to speak, struggling to break the silence.

"Rika?" he began hesitantly, his mouth working, trying to figure out what was going on and already guessing what they were doing together in this compromised position. "Did we…? Are you…?"

He glanced down between their legs and found his penis hovering just above her clitoris, a string of sperm still connecting them together and his face paled in horror at the enormity of it all.

"Oh kami…" he whispered, drawing back and causing the sperm string to break. As if it had been a signal, Rika's face twisted up into an angry snarl and the next thing Takato knew her fist exploded against the side of his face.

" _Get off!"_

Rika's shout burst upon the walls of her apartment's bedroom as her knuckles slammed into Takato's cheekbone. He lurched, nearly collapsing then and there back on top of her, but she drew her legs up beneath him just in time to smash her knees into his ribs, _demanding_ that he get the hint. Quick as lightning, the boy rolled to the side, clutching himself and coughing.

"Wha… What…?" he began, struggling to get to his feet.

"That's what _I'd_ like to know!" Rika snarled, circling around the bed, his pants in hand. She shoved them at him angrily. "Get dressed and start… _talking!"_

Rika's violet eyes flashed angrily, the enormity of the situation overwhelming her. Her memories were a jumbled mess and the railroad spike pounding in her head made it difficult to think clearly. The only thing she could remember with any clarity was helping Takato into the bathroom, having had a little too much to drink, and after that…only vagueness. Shapes of things, but nothing definite. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear about what Takato – _Takato of all people! –_ might have done to her seeming more and more like a horrible reality, confirming all the worst things she had ever imagined in the deepest, darkest corners of her heart.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to rage. She never _believed_ that he would do something like this to her, and yet…there he had been, on top of her and looking like a kid whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar.

Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes as her fists shook, but she blinked them away, holding on to her anger. Anger, at least, was useful.

For Takato's part, confusion reigned, though horror at what he feared he had done to Rika was rapidly returning to claim the crown of its rule that had been briefly interrupted. For the present though, he took hold of himself mentally, trying to make sense of the situation, in the hopes that he could answer his friend.

If friends they still even were at this point.

"I…I don't know," he began, starting to climb to his feet, to which Rika stepped back slightly, falling into a defensive stance. "The last thing I remember is almost passing out, and then…then you grabbed me and…" He shook his head, feeling sick. Looking up at her, worry in his eyes, he started toward her. "Rika, are you…?"

 _"Don't!"_ she growled, her fists rising. Her heart was cracking, but she fought to ignore it. Takato… The stupid Gogglehead that she cared about… "Don't…come near me. _Ever._ Get your things and get out."

"But…" he began, looking up at her flabbergasted, but Rika was _beyond_ caring at this point, such was the intensity of the pure fury raging inside her. He, of _all_ people…!

She cringed, feeling something trickling down between her legs. She didn't need to look to see what it was to know. Having seen Takato's penis slip out of her with a string of fluid connecting them told her all she needed.

"You… _Gogglehead!"_ she growled, starting toward him. "What are you still _doing_ here?! I told you to…"

"Rika, will you _listen?"_ Now it was Takato's turn to explode. He had been trying to talk…trying to make sense of everything that had been going on and what happened, but between the headache, the swelling bruise on his face and Rika berating him, he hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. "I _don't_ know what…"

He gasped, seeing her swing her fist toward him, apparently not listening in the least. Jerking back, he dropped his pants and caught her by the arms, already anticipating another rib shot from times when they had sparred together.

"Let… _go!"_ Rika snarled, stamping a bare foot down on his. Sickening pain shot up his leg, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

"Damn it, Rika!" he exclaimed, blinking through the stars that exploded across his vision. "I just…"

" _No!"_

With a tremendous surge of strength, Rika broke free and staggered back, her chest heaving powerfully. Looking up at her eyes as he clutched old of his aching foot, Takato felt his anger evaporate. There was anger in there, but there was more. Pain… Hurt and betrayal… Fear. Emotions he was not used to seeing from her except under extraordinary circumstances.

What made it worse, they were all directed at him. He was their _source!_ The sight hurt Takato more than anything the Devas or the D-Reaper could have thrown at him.

When Rika spoke again, it was with the quiet of a storm. Tears clung at the corners of her eyes as her fists shook, but she refused to let them fall.

"I know what you're going to say," she said. "But I want you _out_ of here! _Now!"_

Takato swallowed, feeling his heart break at her words before he found himself nodding numbly.

'I'm…I'm sor…" he began only for Rika's harsh voice to cut over him again.

"Don't! Don't you _dare_ try apologizing _now!_ Not after this! Just…get out."

That last came out softer than Rika had intended, and it revealed the depth of the hurt that lay just barely concealed underneath the surface. Slowly, shame and pain heavy in his heart, Takato collected his things and left Rika's bedroom to go get changed. Rika waited until he had left the apartment before hurrying to the bathroom and throwing on the shower. In her panic and anger, she couldn't remember if she had taken the pill. She couldn't remember a _lot_ of things right now, at least not clearly, and the splitting headache she had was most certainly _not_ helping things. Snatching up her birth control pills she quickly popped one in her mouth and jumped into the shower. She worked for what felt like an eternity cleaning herself out. Takato had left a lot inside her it seemed from their night and a lot of it had been in there deep.

 _Kami… What happened?!_ she thought furiously stepping out of the shower, throwing her now sperm-soaked rag into the trash. She would purchase another one. _What… What am I going to do?_

Feeling self-conscious and realizing that she hadn't unpacked her towels yet, she cursed and started toward the door, dripping wet. Her foot brushed against a shirt just lying on the floor, she looked down, tilting her head in confusion as she realized that not only was it _her_ shirt, but her bra lay next to it as well.

 _How…?_

" _You said I don't like being ogled,"_ a memory flitted to her before fluttering just out of reach back amongst the vague shapes of the rest of last night, leaving Rika standing there, dripping on the tiled floor in utter confusion. After a moment, she shook her head.

 _Get a grip on yourself…_

With a heavy, shaky breath, she took stock of her situation. Ignoring the shirt and bra for the time being, she exited the bathroom. She was going to need to get tested to make sure Takato didn't leave her with any 'going away presents' and…

She paused, dripping slightly on the floor, looking in the direction of the apartment door that Takato exited through. Her hands clenched together furiously. How… How could he have _done_ this?

 _Of all the stupid, idiot things he could have done, I never thought he would do…do…_

Rika bit her lip, struggling to hold back the tears. She trusted him so much… _Loved_ him even…

Wiping at her eyes angrily, she returned her gaze to the door and noticed something curious lying on the floor near the entryway. Hurrying over to it she found a small note wrapped around something. Kneeling down, she took it up and unfolded it, barely catching the key that fell out. She gasped, recognizing it. When she confirmed she would be moving into the apartment she had made him a spare key in the event he needed a place to crash.

 _He left it behind before leaving…_

On the note, in large kanji, were the words, _I'm sorry._

Tears finally fell as Rika's knees touched the floor. Leaning her head against the doorframe she wept bitterly, if silently for the loss. The loss of trust. The loss of a friend.

"R-Renamon…" she whispered, calling out to her digimon partner from her childhood.

She was in the digital world however and could no longer watch over her or come to comfort her when she called. She was alone once more.

 **###**

 _I hurt her…_

Takato slowly left Rika's building, his mind in a daze, so much so that were it not for the timely change of the street light, he would have walked right into traffic without even thinking or looking until he noticed how he never paused to check the flow of vehicles. He almost wished he had been a little quicker so as to miss that light. He felt it would be a _small_ recompense for the wrong he had done to his best human friend, and the woman who had, rather unexpectedly, found a place in his heart.

 _I hurt her…_

He thought back to last night, but even now he couldn't recall any bare details beyond passing out on Rika's shoulder. He clenched his eyes shut, feeling the swollen tenderness of the bruise Rika gave him. It all felt so… _unreal._ Like this whole thing ought to be a nightmare and that he would wake up any second and everything would be back to normal.

 _"Oof!"_

Takato spun about, having bumped into an older man wearing a business suit.

"Sorry!" he quickly apologized, earning him an annoyed grunt from the man who simply continued on his way with little more than a glare. Takato watched him go for a moment to make sure he was all right before resuming his course, losing himself in his thoughts.

 _Maybe…Maybe a Lilithmon did this?_ he wondered blearily, trying to rationalize everything. But no. Their digivices – the digital-based artifacts that connected them to their digimon partners – had been silent ever since they were twelve. Yamaki made sure the barriers between the worlds were sewn up tight and that _no_ digimon or human could slip between them. Until Henry could find a way to bring their digimon back, no digimon could get through to the real world ever again.

Or so it was generally believed.

 _Henry…_ He thought back to his friend who, now, lived in the United States, pursuing his studies in artificial intelligence and computer programming – among other fields. They kept in touch via email, but the differences in time zone remained a consistent obstacle for routine and timely conversation.

He missed him. He missed his sage advice. Henry, like Rika, helped keep him grounded and balanced, just like they all had for one another over the years. Somehow though, he doubted Henry would be able to help with this. He would need to figure it out on his own.

Arriving at an intersection, he paused and looked skyward, thinking of Guilmon and what he might have to say with regards to advice.

 _Apologize…_ he answered himself, and the thought made a tear slip free from his eyes as his throat ached. Guilmon had always been a simple, straightforward creature and friend, much like himself, but he knew in his heart that no amount of apologies could fix this mistake. He crossed a line. There would be no coming back from that.

 _Oh Rika…_ he thought, wiping at his eyes before crossing the intersection. _I'm…so sorry…_

He ran through his memories from last night again, trying to pinpoint where he went wrong. The only thing he could come up with was something Rika had said to him while they were preparing dinner.

 _From the very start._

 _I hurt her…_ his mind repeated like a broken record.

 **###**

Rika slipped her hair back into its ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror. On the surface, she looked more like herself again, but appearances, she knew, were just that. Appearances, and they ran only skin deep. Inside, she remained a mess. Against her wishes, memories came to her as she dressed and took medication for her headache. Small things here and there – a faint memory of tasting vomit for some reason, and in particular an image of Takato, hovering over her, shirtless in her bedroom, a dopy, drunk smile on his face while her hand pressed against his chest – but nothing as yet that felt like a cohesive whole. She shuddered, trying to push the memories away, not wanting to recall them, and she ducked out of the bathroom, continuing to ignore the shirt and bra that still lay on the floor, evidence of Takato's mischief that she needed to consider.

 _He…swept me off my feet,_ she thought dully, entering the living area. _And I…bit him._

She lifted one hand to her neck, rubbing the spot unconsciously where she remembered biting him. _I fought him. I…did fight…right?_ She frowned. Of all her methods, biting seemed like the least likely technique for her to use, and anyone who knew her would have been surprised. The bruising on Takato's neck, now that she thought about it, hadn't even seemed all that bad. Very mild in fact, and only recalled after the fact, as she had time to collect herself. In fact, it resembled more like the kinds of 'love bites' that her mother bore after an 'adventurous' all nighter with her new boyfriend.

 _Did I even look that closely?_ she wondered before shaking her head. She had been far, _far_ too angry to really even do more than catch sight of it when she awoke to find him over her with his crotch buried into hers.

 _That…look on his face…_ Her breath caught and she clenched her eyes shut tightly. _No! Get…Get a hold of yourself! He was just_ using _me! He… He… Oh kami…_

Her clenched fists shook as she sat herself down at the table where last night's festivities occurred. It no longer looked as inviting as before, but she made herself sit there, thoughts and feelings continuing to boil within her. She took a shuddering breath, her legs cringing in memory of the feeling of Takato's 'present' seeping out of her. Even now, she felt its ghost, crawling about inside of her, working trouble…

 _Stop it…_

Attempting to compose herself, she reached into her back pocket where she kept her old digimon card deck; something of her good luck charm and the closest thing she would have to her old life and partner digimon outside of her digivice and set it atop the table, just as she had all those years ago when she had no friends. Emotion became distant and she turned the top card over, revealing the image of a golden-furred fox, surrounded by a storm of leaves. Renamon.

"Hey…" she said to the card, a finger caressing it lightly. "It's…been a while, huh?"

She paused, feeling foolish for doing this. Much like visiting the old concrete shelter had been to Takato following the departure of the digimon, or the puppet had been for Jeri, this had become a bit of a habit of hers as a teenager when feeling particularly out of sorts – trying to remember how Renamon spoke; what she would say to her if she saw her looking down. A habit that she thought she had weened herself off of before entering university.

"So… Some stuff happened after the move," she continued, her eyes narrowing as she glanced away from the card. She sniffed, feeling the old hurt of separation joining with the new one, but she refused to cry. "Stuff…between me and Takato."

In spite of her sincere desire to not cry, tears welled up in her eyes anyway, and she curled her fingers into her palms.

"I…don't know what to say. Or how to describe it. I woke up this morning and he's…there. He was on top of me. He…did something to me while I was out. He…He says he doesn't remember anything and he sounded sincere, but…"

She turned away from the card, scowling at herself.

"This is stupid. I'm talking to a card about something _I_ don't even remember all that well!"

Her breath, though low, felt loud. Strangely loud to her ears. It wasn't what she wanted to hear. She wanted it to be _her. Renamon's_ voice, and if not her, then…

The image of Takato's horrified visage flashed through her mind, and she ground her teeth together. A tear, hot and wet, slipped free from her eyes and rolled down her face. Furiously, she scrubbed at it, cursing it and herself for feeling the way she was. Feeling like a little girl all over again. After _everything_ she had been through over the years…

"What am I trying to say? That it's not like him to do that sort of thing? That he _couldn't_ have done it?"

Yet she knew everyone was capable of doing _something_ dark. Why would Takato be any different? She had seen him at his _worst_ before.

Yet… She _had_ hoped…that he was different. Hoped that, perhaps someday, he would have _asked…_ Or accepted her _own_ invitation…

She glanced back at the card of her partner.

 _"Could_ he have done it?" she asked it. Of course, no answer came to her, but the memory of his expression from that morning stuck with her. Turning the card back over atop her deck, she climbed to her feet. Heading over to where she kept her keys, she snatched them up.

 _Maybe some fresh air will help,_ she thought, only for her thoughts to be broken up by the distant ringing of her phone. Scowling, realizing that her phone was in the bedroom still, on its charger – a place she _didn't_ want to be in right now – she hurried over, yanking it off its power cord and hitting the reply button before she could even glance at the caller ID.

"Yeah?"

On the other end, there was a sound of buzzing, and she narrowed her eyes at it. It was her manager at her mother's modeling agency.

 _"Now?"_ she grated heatedly. The buzzing on the other end grew agitated and Rika gave an exasperated sigh.

 _This day…is just not getting any better,_ she thought, feeling her skull ache just a bit more.

 **###**

The door to the Matsuki bakery dinged open and Takehiro looked up to find his wayward son entering. A smile began to draw itself upon his face upon spotting him, but it froze as he saw the despondent look he wore, and the bruise swelling along his cheek.

"Uh… Hey there, son," he greeted, a bit alarmed as the young man trudged toward the living section of the bakery. As he drew closer, Takehiro noticed the vacant look in his son's eyes.

 _No,_ he thought, quickly reevaluating his initial assessment. _Not vacant. Haunted. Something's happened._

"Hey," Takato replied dully, not even looking at his father as he passed him by. Frowning slightly, Takehiro followed after him.

"Is…everything all right, son? When your mother told me that you had a bit of a rough night, I didn't think… Well… You kind of look like you got into a fight."

Takato stopped briefly at the stairs, and Takehiro saw him close his eyes, as though something more than just the bruise pained him.

"I…I don't want to talk about it right now," he replied, before climbing the steps that would lead to his room. "S-Sorry."

Takehiro tilted his head to one side as Mie stepped into the hall, having heard their son come home. Having spotted the bruise, she gave her husband a questioning look, only for Takehiro to shrug.

 _He looks really out of it…_

"I'll go see to him," he said, following after their son while Mie looked on worriedly. They couldn't remember the last time they had seen him like this, save for when the digimon were forced to return to the digital world. Quickly arriving at the top of the steps, he called out to his son just as he stopped in front of his bedroom door.

"Hey, are you _sure_ you don't want to talk?" he asked, making his way over to him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Feeling him freeze up under his touch made him blink, and he noticed that, at no point, did Takato turn to look at him. Even from this angle however, he could see the expression of pain writ within his eyes. It was as though he were barely holding back the torrent raging inside him.

"I'm…sure," Takato said throatily, closing his eyes. "I'll…I'll be down in a few minutes. I just…need to change."

Takehiro withdrew his hand, hearing the low, wavering tone in his son's voice. It was the voice of someone who felt lost and had no idea about what to do.

"Takato…"

The young man slid the door to his room open but didn't step in just yet.

"Sorry…" He hung his head, swallowing. "Sorry for worrying you guys. Just…sorry."

"Takato, if you need to take some time to work some things out…"

"I won't," Takato shook his head. "Not anymore."

Urgency surged through Takehiro just then, and taking hold of his son by the shoulder, he spun him around.

 _"Takato!_ What's going on? Talk to me! _Please!"_

The shattered look on Takato's face almost broke his heart. Something _serious_ had happened last night. Much more serious than just a simple fight, and it savaged the young man's spirit so much that it was all he could do just to keep going.

"I…I didn't mean…" Takato began, his voice tattering as he found himself unable to meet his father's eyes. "I…I don't…"

"Takato…"

Wrapping his son in his arms, he pulled him into a powerful hug as he had when he was much younger. The fact that Takato found himself unable to return it spoke volumes as to how seriously whatever had happened impacted him. He was shuddering violently now, the dam on the verge of breaking.

"Please… _Tell me!"_ he urged.

The world span in Takato's eyes as he attempted to speak. To say _something._ His mouth worked, but all that came out was a low, choking sound as the words, unvoiced, broke through in his mind with crystal clarity.

 _Rika… I raped Rika…_

Sheer, utter blackness slammed home with all the force of a sledgehammer, and Takato crashed into unconsciousness, hanging limply in his father's arms like a doll whose strings had been cut.

8


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Tangled Up in My Heart

Chapter: 03/ A Path Forward

Rika's ride was waiting for her in her apartment's parking lot. It gleamed in the light of the morning, almost a sun by itself, bright yellow with purple highlights, much like that of her digimon partner from her childhood. She ran her hand over its handles before swinging her leg over the seat and sitting herself down, adjusting ever so slightly for comfort.

She doubted she would ever forget how her motorcycle – _The_ _Kyubi_ as it came to be called – became a part of her life. How her friends learned about her growing interest in motorcross and conspired to get her to learn to drive, eventually pooling their money together in preparation for her birthday. Their secrecy didn't last long however, due in part to the nightmarish amount of bureaucratic tape they found themselves up against, and Rika herself sensing their growing distress over it and ultimately cornering the stressed Takato on everyone's behavior.

She traced her thumb over the handle thoughtfully at that, remembering how terrible Takato could be when keeping secrets from her.

 _Like that time he spoiled Jeri's surprise party for me,_ she thought, her grip tightening. She remembered that day well. Takato's fumbling attempts to keep her distracted until the appointed time had, inadvertently, been where everything began for them. At least, where it began for her feelings towards him.

After all, that day had been the first time he asked her out on something like a date.

Not officially of course. Aside from being roped in to distracting her by Jeri of all people alongside her mother, he had been blabbering on and on, trying to make sure that she wouldn't arrive home too early, making her fantasize that a Locomon digimon was blowing through the city just to get through listening to his tongue-twisting himself, until quite by accident, in typical Takato manner, the suggestion to go Cherry Blossom watching tumbled out of his mouth. The issue of there not being any blossoms in bloom yet aside, that it was about just the two of them going to such an event contained _so_ many suggestions in her precocious mind that Rika couldn't simply ignore the request – and hadn't ignored it since – despite the naïve, twelve-year old Takato being utterly baffled as to why she grew embarrassed and angry with him at the suggestion.

Rika reached behind her and took up her helmet. As she did so, she paused, looking at her reflection in its visor. Outwardly, she still looked normal, save for her flat expression. It felt so much like she were looking at a lie. She _didn't_ feel fine. She didn't want to go to a photoshoot or even be at her new home. She wanted to be on the road. She wanted…

Again, the image of Takato's horror-filled face broke across her mind and her grip tightened around her helmet.

 _Takato…_

Grinding her teeth together, she pulled her helmet on and within short order, she drove off, feeling all the while that she had left an important part of herself behind.

 **###**

"Thank you for arriving on such short notice," Watanabe, her agent, greeted with a wide smile beaming on his face, hands outstretched and welcoming. Watanabe was a thick-set man; decently fit for his age and handsome as well by anyone's standards. While Rika couldn't say that she liked him – in part because she didn't much enjoy modeling work – she didn't dislike him either. The man loved his work and his passion showed, which she could respect.

"How long is this going to take?" she asked, wishing she didn't sound impatient as he did his job to the best of his abilities for her 'career.' Watanabe, as always, took her tone in stride though, having become used to her eccentricities during their short time together. Rika supposed he worked with worse over the years.

"Ah, not long, I promise you," Watanabe said, clasping his hands together and bowing politely. "Simply an hour of your time and no more."

Rika grimaced. An hour? That was hardly short, especially with how she felt. Her head continued to throb behind her temples, albeit dialed back considerably. She didn't want to consider what all the lighting and cameras would end up doing to her. She didn't like dealing with them on a _good_ day, and here she was, actually throwing herself into this when she felt utterly terrible.

 _But…I can't just_ not _do something…_ a part of her thought. _Might as well earn a paycheck at least…_

Still, in spite of that, she found she didn't really want to be here.

"That sounds like it's going to take a while," she grunted. "Any chance we can speed things up? I had a bad night."

Watanabe tilted his head to one side, inspecting her.

"You _do_ look a bit out of sorts… Well, we'll see what we can do. Anyway, about the details for today's shoot…"

Watanabe explained things to her and introduced her to a representative of the company she was to be photographed for, though she barely paid attention to him beyond the bare bone basics. Today she was modeling for a summer billboard. Nothing involving a bikini, Watanabe knowing quite well her feelings with regards to how she presented herself for others' viewing. Rather instead, she was to wear a fashionable tube-shirt and dress along with a wide hat. Her mother posed for something similar about ten years ago, recalling it in part from when the malevolent digimon, IceDevimon, stalked her. A fairly run of the mill outfit in Rika's eyes, but she was at least comfortable with it.

Rika took her time getting changed. Slipping off her red vest and following it with her low cut, white, sleeveless t-shirt, she took up the strapless tube-shirt and grimaced at it before turning her gaze toward her bare self in the mirror. As she had that morning, she inspected herself for any signs of injuries, and just as before she saw and felt none. She frowned at their absence, finding herself unsettled uncertain as to what to make of it.

 _I was conscious,_ she thought, thinking back on the few memories she had from last night. _I know that much now. What…does that mean though? Was I too out of it to fight back and he just took advantage of me or…what?_

She shuddered, remembering Takato over her, pressing her to the bed with his body as he ground into her, his face contorting with pleasure from their union. But there was something else in there. Something that lay just beyond her reach. She _was_ conscious during that time, and she remembered even before then, helping the drunken Takato to the bathroom, too sick to get there properly on his own.

 _He did jump at me though and swung me up in his arms,_ she frowned. _He…could do things. He could have done things to me._

 _The bruise on his neck though…_ What she recalled of it didn't appear to be anywhere near the sort of damage she would have done to him if she thought he was going to rape her, drunk or not.

 _Did I…let him make love to me?_

She drew down her jeans and quietly replaced it with the skirt. Kami knew that she had fantasizedon and off about the two of them making love over the years as her attraction to him grew while her body matured, typical of puberty and something that left her embarrassed and uncertain…even ashamed at times, remembering how hard he had fallen for their mutual friend, Jeri Katou, and how that hadn't stopped her from imagining herself 'comforting' him and taking Jeri's place in his heart when the two of them broke up. A stupid fantasy, as she called it irritably in private, but there remained that tiny bit of relief in her when the pair did actually break up, a relief she hated herself for feeling.

The fantasy never happened however. They grew closer to be sure, a hazard of working together, and the two certainly became a bit more playful, Rika even more so as she found herself loving his flustered reactions to her teasing, but nothing more came about beyond the two of them becoming very good friends. She never spoke openly about her feelings for Takato, though she had the sneaking suspicion that Jeri and Kazu knew something was going on. She wore a mask, pretending there she felt nothing so as to give them nothing to grab hold of.

She emerged from the dressing room and made her way over to the propped-up scenery, hating the fakeness of it all.

 _It's just like a mask,_ she thought, coming to a stop in front of the false beach background. _Just pretend. That's all I am now. That's all this is. Just a pretense at something. And I'm just pretending too. Going along with it because I get paid…even though I don't like it. Like a doll. Put on clothes. Pretend to feel something I don't. I…hate this._

She remembered what Kazu said last night about having to act around others, wearing masks all the time. With Takato though, at least after a while, she felt that she could drop the mask around him. He saw all her thorny bits and continued to stick by her, and never once tried to discourage her from working at the bakery when she opted to give it a try.

A flash from the camera and Rika squinted, pain throbbing in her head from the light test.

 _It's only going to get worse. I've got to hang in there._

 _Why?_ a part of her asked. _Why am I doing this? Why am I putting on a mask when I hate wearing it?_

She knew the answer of course. To please her mother. To keep her from pestering her about having a 'good career.' But as the flashes continued to go off, she found all the old loathing she had for it as a child returning in full force, made all the worse by the day's events.

She found herself wondering now… Did Takato wear a mask around her?

A flash from the camera, and in her mind's eye, she found herself back at the bakery, some years younger, before entering university, helping with the holiday rush, griping about school… And him, listening to her, his usual smile on his face, right before the oven behind them caught fire… How they had reacted to it almost instantly and found themselves laughing from the surprise and stress once they had saved the bakery. How it reminded them from their days as Tamers…

Another flash, and this time still younger, listening to her as she spoke about her father, about how his absence didn't matter to her the same way it did with Renamon. He asked if that bothered her…

Another flash, and this time she was with him at Guilmon's old hideout, the two of them older, listening to him talking about Guilmon on one of those days that she found he would get depressed on. Days that occurred more often around the summer than not, when he felt the absence of the digimon born from his heart and soul all the more keenly.

Still another, herself waking up next to Takato, the two of them having fallen asleep on a movie after a long, hard day at the bakery; how she had gazed at his face in thought before, curiously, pinching his cheek, awakening him with a start and accidently smacking their foreheads together. And how he had apologized profusely, much to her irritation…

 _Flash! Flash!_ Takato again, this time age twelve, on her birthday, looking positively nervous about something as he spoke, his words a jumbled mess, and getting worse with every second… Her mind paused on that memory in consideration.

 _I always felt I could read him like a book. It was easy to know when he tried to hide things from me. He could never look me in the eye. That day he asked me out to the non-blooming Cherry Blossoms, he spent most of the time looking everywhere else but me!_

A trait, she knew, that didn't diminish as he aged. It was comforting knowing that no matter how badly he screwed up or what he did, when he told her the truth, he would always look her in the eyes. Those eyes that she wanted on her; seeing her. Seeing past her mask and to her _real_ self. Those eyes she wanted always to tell her the truth.

Those eyes that always told the truth on their own because he disliked being dishonest.

 _When I woke up to find him on top of me… He looked me in the eyes…and looked like he was confused as to how he got there._

 _Could he have been wearing a mask then…to stay out of trouble? Hoping that it'd just blow over? Be seen as an accident because we both got drunk?_

 _"Rika? Did we…? Are you…?"_ her memory whispered before being silenced by a skull splitting throb as another flash of light proceeded to aggravate her hangover.

"All right," began the cameraman, leaning forward. "Let's try some poses now. Why don't we begin with…"

"No."

Silence hung in the room as everyone surrounding Rika took a second to digest this.

"Uh… What…?" began the representative as Watanabe approached, looking a bit pensive, but trying to put a positive spin on things.

"I'm sorry. She said that she wasn't feeling very well when she came in. Why don't we take a short break so Ms. Nonaka can find her bearings again?"

"How about not?" Rika asked, stepping away from the false background. "I'm sorry, Watanabe, but…today's just not the day for me. Why don't you try Orimoto or something? She usually does beach scenes."

Watanabe's mouth fell open at that, and she could hardly blame him. Izumi Orimoto was one of her competitors after all, and it was his job to look after her and get her work so she could make a decent living for herself.

The representative of the billboard, frowned, but whatever he had to say, she let Watanabe handle it. More and more, she didn't want to be here. She had too much on her mind and, quite frankly, the job _bored_ her. All she did was stand around and pose in whatever ways she was told to pose. The whole thing was just…annoying, and the lights only hurt her eyes.

 _Ugh. Why'd I even take this job again?_ she asked herself in a rhetorical manner as she quickly ducked back into the changing room and switched back to her preferred clothes.

This couldn't go on for much longer. She knew that now. Whether it had to do with her profession or Takato, _something_ had to change. She didn't want to have to keep dwelling on either one. The job was driving her to boredom and Takato…

Her hand tightened on the doorknob as she emerged from the changing room, finding Watanabe and the representative there waiting for her.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Nonaka," Watanabe said, wiping a handkerchief across his brow. "But he insisted on waiting for you."

 _Ugh. Great._

"I already gave my answer," she said bluntly, planting a hand on her hip defiantly. "I'm not up for it today. If you _really_ want me, talk to Watanabe and reschedule. Because it's _not_ happening today."

The representative adjusted his glasses, his brow a deep furrow as he looked at her in consideration.

"I understand. I would like to reiterate our interest in working with you. From what we've heard and seen about you, you are a bit of a rising star in the business and as such would love to work with you. The successor to your mother, _the_ Makino would be quite beneficial for our business, not to mention yours as well. You would be seen all over Japan, and your profile would most _certainly_ be raised."

Rika frowned. Her profile would be raised? She remembered what _that_ was like for her mother, always being followed around, being asked questions and so on and so forth.

"No thanks," she sighed before Watanabe coughed politely.

"Ah… What she means is…"

"…exactly what I said," she interrupted, giving Watanabe an apologetic look. In spite of everything, he did his job well for her. Tilting her head to one side, she closed her eyes. "Look. I gave you my answer and that's that. I had a _really_ bad night and I just want to get home and finish unpacking."

"I'm sorry to hear about your bad night," the representative replied, giving her what she guessed he thought was a disarming smile as he spread his hands out. "Please. Allow me the opportunity to try and make this one a better one for you. I have a number of connections that can be used to further your career. If you'd like, we can discuss things in a more relaxed atmosphere."

"No," Rika said even more bluntly than earlier, and with that, she moved to push past the representative.

"Please, Ms. Nonaka…"

"I gave my answer. Now we're done. I'm not changing my mind on this one."

"What if I were able to get you into a photo opportunity for the upcoming All Japan Motorcross Championship?"

Rika ground to a halt at that before cautiously turning around to face the representative, her eyes questioning. Motorcross… While it didn't capture her attention the same way taming did as a child, she still developed an interest in it, and watched the championships regularly for the last four years. Usually by herself, but there were not more than a few times when either Takato or Jeri sat with her on it, providing the impetus for her friends to begin their secret plan to get her a motorcycle.

"How do you know that I'm into motorcross?"

The representative smiled. "With your highly public figure, it's hardly a secret, Ms. Nonaka. So, do we have an arrangement?"

"Watanabe? He can do that?"

"Ah…" Watanabe paused before nodding. "It's not…impossible. His company does have a number of contracts advertising for the Motorcycle Federation of Japan."

Seeing that he had her attention, the representative approached Rika.

"You see?" he said, drawing up close. "Please. Why don't we discuss this over dinner or something? Or here, if you would rather prefer, though I know an excellent restaurant that will help make tonight a _vast_ improvement over last. At any rate, I am certain that someone with your beauty and ability can… _Aaagh!"_

Rika moved with snake-like swiftness as soon as she felt the representative's hand drop down to the edge of her rear in a caress, snatching it up and giving it a sharp twist. The representative cried out as he struggled, Watanabe's mouth falling open at the sight. Anger flared in Rika's heart as the man attempted to break free, only to fail once he realized that doing so risked breaking a bone or two in the process.

"Hands to yourself," Rika growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she gave the representative's wrist just enough of a twist to make him cringe. He nodded vigorously, beads of sweat starting to stand out on his forehead. Satisfied with that, she released him and started away, not even looking back as she went.

"Watanabe, I'm out of here. And as for you, Mr. Representative? Count yourself lucky, because if I see you around here again, I'll make you _eat_ that hand."

Drawing near to the elevator, she overheard Watanabe's furious and quite vocal beratement of the representative's treatment of her. She angrily hit the call button, and just like that the door dinged open, as though it were expecting her.

Stepping inside, she hit the button to the lobby, and the doors slid shut on the scene of Watanabe as he now _bellowed_ at the representative. With that, the elevator sank, and she felt her stomach loosen slightly as she briefly felt weightless. Taking a shaky breath, she spun and struck the wall of the elevator, leaving a good-sized dent in its metal surface. Her fist exploded in pain, but it felt meaningless, her anger swallowing it and sending it pulsing along the length of her body, becoming fuel for her anger, making her almost eager for a target that would react to being struck. She was half-tempted to go back upstairs and give the representative a piece of her pain, but she instead waited for the elevator to reach its destination, not wanting to drag this out any longer than she already had. She didn't have to wait long before she arrived at her destination and stepped out onto the streets. Turning, she aimed for the parking lot where she stored her bike.

 _Takato never treated me like that,_ she thought. _Even when my tops started to get a little showier, he_ never _treated me like that. He never touched me unless he was_ sure _I was okay with it._

Of course, he wasn't the only one who had respected her boundaries. Henry and Kenta did so as well, and even Kazu, whenever he remembered that her cleavage wasn't meant for him to stare at and indulge his personal fantasies in.

But with Takato, his respect toward her always had a specialness to it. An honesty that she had liked. He never once denied nor lied that he found her attractive, though she had to corner him on it quite a few times before he got the hint that she was fine with that. As a teenager, and even before then, he would blush and stammer, try to avoid doing anything or saying anything that he felt would make her feel uncomfortable, even on the rare occasions she dressed in such a manner to _provoke_ such a reaction from him. But as always, when she called him out on it, the admission would come, if haphazardly. And he always respected her personal space, going no further than she allowed.

Approaching her bike, she sat herself down on it thoughtfully.

 _What…did I allow with him?_

The question echoed inside her as she took her helmet and slid it on.

 _Too bad neither of us remember,_ she thought, starting the engine. As she did so, her mind drifted back to the bathroom, where her shirt and bra still lay, clean and without a stain to mar them.

She frowned, focusing on the memory for a moment, contemplating it before peeling out of her parking spot and blazing a trail in the direction of the road, more than eager to forget the photoshoot.

 **###**

After parking her bike, Rika made her way down the tiny street that led to Takato's home and family business. She felt a cold sick weight in the pit of her stomach at the thought of going there to see _him._ A part of her, in spite of everything she felt she needed to do, wanted to turnback and never allow a sight of him to intrude her life again. It would be so much easier in light of today, to believe he had used her as she feared he had; as she once feared Renamon had. Like IceDevimon had wanted to.

She knew, however, that would be running away. There were a lot of things that she could say that she didn't like about herself right now, but she'd be _damned_ if she allowed herself to back out, especially after coming this far.

 _A Tamer never walks away from danger,_ as she told Takato years ago, before they even became friends. She intended to stand by that philosophy, even if she had to use a wheelchair to get around.

The familiar sight of the bakery came into view and she felt her chest tighten as she picked up the pace. She wondered how Takato was doing. What he told his parents, or anyone else for that matter. How would they react now once they saw her?

 _Only one way to find out,_ she thought, the automatic doors parting for her, allowing her entry. _Here goes…_

"Hello," came Takehiro's voice as he looked up from the cash register. "Can I help you with… _Rika!"_

Rika felt the tension in his body build as she saw his eyes widen in shock upon seeing her, but much to her surprise, she sensed no hostility from Takato's father. Only concern and worry.

"Hey, Mr. Matsuki," she greeted, feeling a touch uncertain as she drew nearer to the counter. So far, this was not what she expected. "I'm…looking for Takato. Is he here?"

Quickly glancing around to see if there were any customers about, Takehiro leaned forward, his voice lowering, becoming filled with urgency.

"That's… Yeah, he's here. He's in a bit of a bad way though."

"Bad way, huh?" Rika asked, feeling her heart banging away in her chest. She could hear the drumbeat in her ears, distracting her thoughts. She flexed her hand to refocus herself, feeling its stiffness from when she punched the elevator wall.

Takehiro nodded before leaning away, running a hand through his thinning hair, sighing heavily. "I don't know how to explain it. He was _very_ upset, I can say that much, not to mention sporting a rather nasty bruise on his face like someone clocked him a good one." He pointed to his cheek for emphasis. "Nothing he said was making any sense and he was acting like he lost Guilmon all over again. When I pressed him on it all he could do was apologize over and over before he just…collapsed. Just shut down completely and went to sleep in my arms."

Rika stiffened at that. _Collapsed? Takato collapsed?_

"Fortunately, one of our regulars is a nurse and she was there at the time. She says that he'll be fine with some rest, but…" He paused and looked at Rika meaningfully. "Rika, I don't mean to pry, but…what _happened_ last night? When you called, you said he was a bit drunk. Could you tell us what you know?"

Rika's drew her hands into tight, shaky fists, barely hearing him or even taking notice of the stiffness in her knuckles.

 _Takato collapsed… Takato…_ collapsed. The thought hammered itself home and for a moment, it felt as though the world had stopped around her. Shaking herself, she looked back at Takehiro, who was watching her with an expectant gaze, hoping that she would shed light on whatever was wrong. She saw in his eyes a fear as to what might have happened, guessing perhaps that his son, in his drunken stupor, committed a wrong with her, someone he reportedly cared deeply about.

Taking a shaky breath, Rika relaxed her hands.

"Is he…? You said he's upstairs?"

"Sleeping," Takehiro nodded. "Rika, please. Did something…?"

"Takehiro," came the voice of Mie, emerging from the back. "I think one of us is going to need to go down to the store and pick up a new batch of flower. That last bag is… Oh! Rika!"

Now it was Mie's turn to be surprised upon spying Rika's presence. All her earlier worries came to the forefront as she hurried over to the younger woman.

"Did something happen between you two?" she asked in a hushed voice, though it bled raw with emotion. "Did my son _do_ something to you? Oh Kami…"

"Mie…" began Takehiro in a warning tone as Rika blinked, taken aback by the older woman's words.

"Takehiro, he came home looking like someone punched him and he was drunk last night! I just knew _something_ was going to happen, but no, you said… Ohhh…"

Tearing off her bandana, Mie covered one eye with her hand, trying to hold back her tears.

"I thought we raised him better than that."

Takehiro made his way over to his wife as she burst out sobbing and wrapped his arms around her, massaging her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Mie… Let's just hear her out. We don't know _anything_ just yet."

Turning his eyes back at the fire-haired woman, his eyes became serious.

"Rika?" he prompted. Rika winced. Mie always liked her, and in recent years came to see her as something of a daughter she never had. Without question, Takato staggering home looking beat up after being drunk and alone with her in her apartment must have been _very_ distressing to her.

She took another breath, calming herself.

"I need to see him," she said simply, causing both his parents to look at him in surprise and Mie to blink back her tears. Feeling a little self-conscious, Rika forged ahead, ignoring her discomfort under their scrutinizing gaze.

"Look, I don't know if either of us can explain anything right now, but…please." Her eyes softened. "Please let me see him. I _need_ to talk to him about what happened. I think we _both_ need to talk to each other."

Mie and Takehiro both exchanged looks before Takehiro nodded.

"We'd still like to hear what happened," he said simply, his tone implying there _would_ be a time for hearing the story. Rika nodded, moving around the counter and towards the back.

"Thank you," she said, heading to the stairs that led to the bakery's living section and taking them at a rapid pace. All the old smells and looks of the upstairs filled her with sudden nostalgia, but at the same time she couldn't help but wonder…were they different? There was something in them that left her feeling as though she were looking at them in a new light.

 _Or maybe that's just me because of what happened between me and Takato,_ she thought, arriving at the top. She didn't have long to contemplate as she approached his room. She could hear his voice behind the door, indicating he was awake now. A relief for sure, as it simplified things, but it sounded as though he were talking to someone. Coming to a halt, she listened briefly before sliding the door open and stepping inside.

 **###**

Darkness surrounded him, broken only by a faint flickering of red light. He was in a room, that much he could see from what rough details he could make out. He made his way through the room cautiously, his breathing, heavy, seeming to test the air with his nostrils, as if hunting for prey.

In the flickering light, he spied, there, huddled in a corner, a familiar young woman, eyes full of fear as she shook.

 _"Please…"_ he heard her whisper as darkness drowned her. He felt himself move rapidly, and when the red light revealed her once more, she was struggling, his hand wrapped tightly around her neck, squeezing… _Squeezing!_ Then…nothing but darkness once more for a moment, and when the next flicker of red light, he found her hanging limply in his arms bridal style, eyes empty of all life as her head rolled toward him, gazing up at him in mute accusation.

 _NO! RIKA!_

Takato shot up from the futon, his cry dying in his throat as the light of day flooded his vision. He sat there for a moment in confusion, his shoulders heaving as he panted, reality washing the nightmare away, leaving only faint threads of spiderwebs that clung to him. Recollection however, the spinner of those dark threads, crawled about his mind, casting new webs with which to ensnare him with, and as he brushed his hand against a bandage taped over his bruise, Rika's angry eyes flashed across his vision.

 _Rika…_ he shuddered.

He took stock of his situation. He was on the floor of his room, laying in a futon that had been laid out for him. How he got there, he couldn't remember, though this didn't surprise him. Faulty memories seemed to be par the course for him today. Not that it mattered at the moment. The only memory that meant anything right now was Rika's furious, betrayed eyes as she glared at him, the person she had called friend. Someone she had _trusted._

And now…never again.

Clenching his eyes shut, he shivered again. _It's…all my fault._

The thought echoed inside him. He wanted so badly to call her; to try and make things better. Set things _right!_ He knew however, in the bottom of his heart, he would only make things worse. Things between them would never be fine again.

 _But…what can I do?_ he asked himself. _I've got to do_ something! _I…I hurt her. I need to pay. I need to pay for what I did._

The thought crystalized within him as, downstairs, he heard his parents moving about, talking to one another as they ran their business. He no longer really belonged here anymore.

 _I've failed them. I've failed everyone. The least I can do is go away. Go to prison._

That made him blink, a light bulb clicking on his mind, and the idea clung to him immediately. Yes, why not? That's what people like him deserved, right? Be removed from society? Removed from everyone he might be a danger to? And he _was_ dangerous. With his imagination, he created Guilmon. With a wish, he could turn his partner into a monster so powerful he could destroy an entire plain of existence!

 _My digivice… I should probably send that to Yamaki for safekeeping. Uh… If I can find him that is. Maybe I should send it to Henry instead? Yeah. He'd know what to do._

This idea was sounding better all the time. He should have been locked up ages ago as a child, back when he shattered the firewall dividing the worlds and keeping him from his partner. He had been so willing to risk endangering the safety of the world all over again just to be with his friend. He _should_ have been locked up and the key thrown away!

 _At least then, none of this would have happened. Rika. She would have been safe from me…_

He was shaking again, but he bore it. Climbing to his feet, he went over to it and began hunting through the piles of paper, searching for his digivice. He quickly found it, its golden ring enshrined in digi-code. A golden ring. What a laugh! What had _he_ done to deserve a second chance after his original, red-ringed one was destroyed? Destroyed because he turned his best friend into a monst…!

The sound of his cellphone ringing broke him out of his thoughts. Taking it out, he flipped it open.

"Uh… Jeri?" he greeted, a bit confused at first as to why she was calling _him. Wouldn't Rika have told her…? No. She's probably calling to ask how I could do such a thing._

 _"Hey, Takato. How are you doing?"_

"Ah… Is…this a trick question?" he asked, scratching the back of his head, baffled not only by Jeri's question, but also her cheerful, if worried-sounding mood.

 _"What do you mean? You drank a lot last night, so I was worried about you. I mean, Rika didn't call, so I guessed you were doing okay, but… Well… You know how I am. I…I never stopped caring about you after all."_

Takato closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.

"She…didn't tell you…" he said softly. "Why didn't she tell you?"

 _"Huh? She didn't tell me what? Rika? Did something happen last night?"_

Takato leaned on his desk, feeling a bit dizzy again. He was going to have to fill her in on what he did. How he hurt Rika.

"Y-Yeah…" he nodded. "Something… Something did happen. I'm…I'm sorry, Jeri." He threaded a hand through his hair, casting his eyes up toward the ceiling before sitting himself down in his chair. Kami, he felt so dizzy. The raw, hurt emotion was threatening to overwhelm him again. "I'm…I'm going to have to be going away for a while."

 _"Going away?"_ Jeri asked, confused. _"You mean like what you were telling me about? Traveling the world so you can find a portal to the digital world?"_

"I'm…I'm not going on my trip," he replied. Placing his head in his free hand, he closed his eyes. So deep was he in the whirlwind of his thoughts that he didn't notice his door sliding quietly open. "I…I don't think I'll be doing anything like that. Jeri… I'm turning myself in to the police."

There was a deathly silence both in the room and on the phone for one long moment before Jeri spoke up again.

 _"The…The police?"_ she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper, and he envisioned her cradling her cellphone, eyes wide with growing panic. _"Takato… I don't understand. What happened? Tell me so I…"_

Takato was abruptly cut off from answering Jeri's quavering voice as an elegant, pale hand plucked his cellphone out of his grasp. Whipping about, his eyes widened with stunned surprise upon finding one Rika Nonaka standing before him, holding his phone to her ear as she cleared her throat.

"Jeri? It's Rika. I'm going to have to call you back and fill you in on some…details later." Her violet eyes looked down at Takato. He read nothing in them, save for a cool, reserved air. "But for now, ignore what he just told you."

 _What?!_ his mind exclaimed.

 _"Rika?!"_ Jeri exploded on the phone, completely and utterly confused as to what was going on and not liking it at all. _"What's going on?! You promised you would call if something happened and it_ sounds _like something happened!"_

Rika's expression softened a little as she continued to gaze at Takato.

"I know," she said. "It's…been a crazy day. Look, I'll explain everything to you later. Takato and I… We need to sort some things out first."

 _"O-Okay…"_ Jeri said, her voice shaking a little. _"Promise for sure this time?"_

"Yeah. I promise."

With nothing more to be said, Rika hung up. Setting Takato's cellphone on his desk, she fixed him with a contemplative gaze.

"Rika…" he began, starting to rise to his feet, only to pause as she stiffened in response. Wincing, he sat back down. "W-What are you…doing here?"

"I'm…" Her eyes drifted to his bruised face, grimacing at it before dropping down to his neck, where a smaller, considerably lighter bruise lay, much lighter than she remembered it being that morning. "…here to see you. I…"

Silence fell from her lips for a moment before she sighed. Takato looked, well, horrible to tell the truth. Unkempt and he had the faint beginnings of his mustache growing back. It was clear to her that he hadn't showered or shaved since yesterday, and his eyes looked hollow and haggard, making him look sickly.

 _I guess he would be…knowing him,_ she thought, remembering what his parents told her downstairs about his passing out.

"Why don't you get cleaned up and meet me downstairs?" she asked finally. "We're going for a ride."

"Uh…huh?" Takato blinked, wondering what was going on. "A ride?"

"I'm not repeating myself, Takato," she said, turning around and heading for the door. "I've got you a helmet and some goggles. All you need to do is bring yourself, and I'd rather you look a bit more presentable."

She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder at him. Takato saw emotion behind her eyes, but before he could say anything, she turned away again.

"Don't keep me waiting too long," she said before stepping outside.

 **###**

Takato cleaned himself up as best he could while keeping things as short as possible. Standing in front of the mirror of his bathroom, he wiped down the condensation from the shower steam, gazing at his bare self. No nicks or scratches marred his face, a good thing since he had done a quick shave without a mirror to save time, and he got all the relevant bristles. Not a speck of dirt stood out either, and the heat from the steam revived him a little, restoring some of his color.

 _Now if only my conscience was as clean as the rest of me,_ _then I could stand looking at myself,_ he thought, taking up his mother's hairdryer and turning it on. His brown hair shot to the side, becoming awash in heat. His skin prickled in delight, causing his nipples to rise ever so slightly in response. His thoughts continued to feel jagged and uneven however, unable to respond to the pleasant warmth that soothed his body.

 _Rika… Why does she want to take me for a ride? Why did she stop me from telling Jeri what I did? Is she afraid I'll lie about what happened?_

It made sense. If he were her, he supposed his lying would be the most likely thing to do in order to avoid getting into trouble.

 _Still… Why didn't she tell her first? Why does she want anything to do with me? Why did she come all the way down here?_

No answer came to him of course, and rather than dwell on it, he finished drying his hair and snatched up a towel. His skin bemoaned the loss of the heat as he traced the cloth up his legs, working his way steadily northward until he finally finished with his arms and chest.

He looked at himself in the mirror again. He didn't look all that different from yesterday, but he felt as though something inside him were altered in some way.

 _Or maybe I'm just aware of it now?_

Not waiting for an answer – Rika waited for him after all – he took up his clean shirt and tugged it on before following with the rest of his clothes. He found Rika downstairs shortly afterward, waiting for him, having explained to his parents they were heading out. With nothing more needing to be said, they headed out together and wordlessly made their way over to her parking spot. Taking up the helmet and goggles she got for him, she passed them into his hands.

"Hang on to me," she said simply, drawing on her own helmet and starting the engine. Takato frowned at her, and when she saw his lack of action, she turned toward him and flipped her visor up.

"Something the matter?"

 _Yeah. Everything,_ he thought, but wordlessly he placed the helmet on his head and after making sure it was secure, he climbed aboard _The Kyubi._ After situating himself, he tripped the back end of the tank, ensuring that he kept his hands as far away from Rika's abdomen as possible.

She waited for a moment before turning toward him once more, her violet eyes questioning. Takato lifted an eyebrow in response.

"Uh… Am I doing something wrong? Didn't you tell me once that I'm supposed to sit like this? Balance and everything?"

"Yeah," Rika admitted with a nod. "But…" She paused before looking away. "…I…want to know you're there with me."

Takato felt his heart pause in its beat, it too sharing its confusion toward her words. Why? _Why_ did Rika want that?

He didn't dwell on it long. It was clear that she was waiting for him to change position before they left. Releasing his grip on the back, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms about her waist. She felt so warm, and he could feel a nervous tremor in her back. That made his heart crack again. The idea that she was afraid of him hurt worse than anything the D-Reaper ever did to him.

"Hang on," she said, revving the engine, "and don't let go."

With that, she pulled out and they joined the road.

 **###**

They drove for quite a while, taking the twists and turns until they eventually left the limits of the city and entered out into the countryside. And still they kept going, Rika driving with utter confidence. She appeared to be in no hurry, allowing Takato time to take in the sights around them and breathe the cool, fresh country air, clearing his mind a little and, briefly, losing himself in the ride.

 _No wonder Rika enjoys driving Kyubi so much,_ he thought.

Eventually, Rika took a turn down a side road. It was a bit rougher compared to what they were on before, but it remained plenty serviceable. Passing houses and shrines, she came upon a small nook in the path and turned down into it. There, they continued on a little bit more slowly before eventually coming to a stop. Turning off the engine, Rika glanced over her shoulder, taking off her helmet.

"Here we are," she said as Takato retracted his arms from around her.

"Where are we?" he asked, taking off his own helmet and giving the place a once over, being faintly reminded of Shinjuku Park, where they had spent much of their childhood playing in before their path to adulthood began to conspire to keep them away from that place.

"Just a little spot I found while traveling. I come out here every once in a while for the view."

Tilting her head to the side as she swung off the bike, she indicated that he was to follow her. They didn't have to travel far, and they soon arrived at a spot that ended on a drop with the half-hidden remains of a shrine buried behind some brush. Takato felt his lips part as a small breath escaped his mouth. There, just beyond the cliff, was the city of Shinjuku, clear as day, and yet so small and distant.

"Wow…" he breathed in awe. Rika smiled softly.

"Nice, huh? I keep it as my phone's wallpaper. The first time I saw it like this, I got to remembering Renamon and everything we did together as Tamers. How we saved the world and our homes. Sometimes, it helps me get through some pretty hard times."

A gust of wind blew across the pair, and Takato fancied that he heard the words left unsaid.

 _Like today._

Takato pressed his lips together, feeling the knot in his stomach returning as all of the day's events came back, filling in all the nooks and crannies emptied by the bike ride, spinning new threads to connect them all together. It took him a moment to realize that his hands were shaking, and he drew them up, linking them together and squeezing them in an attempt to distract himself and silence their tremors.

They stood like that for a moment longer before Rika spoke again, cutting to the chase.

"How much do you like me?"

The question hung there as they gazed out over the city. A bit of a surprising question, and not one Takato would have expected.

"A…A lot," he replied, turning toward her just as she turned toward him, their eyes meeting. Her expression remained impassive as she continued.

"How much is a lot?" she asked. "Enough that you want to have sex with me?"

Rika saw the bright, ashamed blush bloom to life on Takato's features, but to his credit, he kept his eyes focused on her.

"I…" he began before trailing off, looking obviously uncomfortable.

"Forget about the mushy stuff for right now," Rika added at his hesitation, before he could pick up the threads of conversation again. "I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say about romance. Just answer the question."

Takato's face contorted, as though the very act of answering such a question pained him, but in the end, he nodded.

"Y-Yeah," he said simply, his voice hoarse. Rika watched him carefully, taking note of every reaction she could read. As ever, he was an open book to her.

 _He's not trying to paint himself in a good light,_ she thought quietly. She supposed he felt there was no point to it, given everything that happened between them, and no doubt he sensed her desire to not dance around issues that were important.

"And you don't remember anything from last night."

"No." Takato shook his head, continuing to maintain eye contact all the while in spite of his obvious discomfort. She saw nothing more in them except what Takato believed to be true in his mind. Her eyes dropped down to the bruise on his neck, lingering on it briefly before she turned away.

"I see."

Time passed as they stood there, his eyes on her as she gazed out over Shinjuku thoughtfully, a light gust of wind playing along her hair. They stood there for a few minutes, letting the silence reign before Takato spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Rika."

The fire-haired woman narrowed her eyes as she glanced at him. "I think you've apologized enough."

Takato winced, hearing her angry tone.

"I know. It doesn't mean much, and there's nothing I can do to change what happened or fix things, but…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He felt his heart cracking at seeing her eyes glistening in the sunlight. Blinking back tears forming in his own eyes, he wiped them with his sleeve and continued.

"Rika?" Takato began softly. "Why did you stop me from telling Jeri what I did to you?"

Rika tilted her head to one side, still watching him from out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't know. What _did_ you do to me?"

Takato drew his hands together into tight fists, his body shaking. Yet he turned and met her eyes levelly, knowing how much she preferred, even desired, eye contact when discussing things, however uncomfortable they were.

"I…I raped you."

He winced as the words left his lips, but he continued to hold Rika's eyes as she turned to face him more fully, one hand on her hip.

"Is that what happened?" she asked.

Takato blinked, baffled by this response. It…wasn't one he expected.

"What…What else could it be?" _Now_ Takato broke her gaze, briefly, fumbling for words before meeting them again. "I was drunk. I couldn't control myself, and…and you know how I get when I'm…like that."

Rika frowned in thought, trying to piece together his own thought process. Of all the things Takato was, a lack of control of himself seemed rather…preposterous. She and Henry lost their temper far more than he ever did, and Henry practiced self-control far, _far_ more out of all of them.

 _Now why would he think that?_ she wondered, until realization dawned on her in the memory of a massive, blood-red dragon with glowing, crimson eyes; a beast born from an absolute, all-consuming, murderous rage.

 _Megidramon…_

She remembered that day well. How could she forget? Beelzemon beating them all down into the dirt, focusing especially on Renamon; the bullets that tore through the air, aimed directly at Takato and Guilmon in their own battered helplessness; Leomon's pain-filled howl, impaled on Beelzemon's claws, and Jeri's horrified screams as her partner died…

If there was one thing she could say for certain about Takato, it was that he never did anything small.

Her expression softened, remembering that she had thought much the same thing as he just that morning.

"Takato…" she began softly, her eyes shining before she hardened them. "Takato," she continued, her voice picking up a firm tone. "What happened in the digital world… That's _completely_ different from what happened last night!"

"No, it's not!" Takato protested heatedly, earning him a surprised eyebrow lift from Rika at this. "That monster _is_ me! It's always been inside me, and when I'm in the wrong mood…"

"Do you _really_ think Jeri and I would have let you have _anything_ Kazu bought or even get anywhere _near_ us if we thought you were dangerous?" Rika interrupted, jabbing her finger into his chest as her temper flaring suddenly. Takato's mouth fell open at that, completely taken aback by her response. Rika continued to press her attack, not wanting to give him a chance to come up with a counterargument.

"What happened in the digital world could have happened to _anyone._ Beelzemon was going to kill us. He killed Leomon right in front of Jeri and loaded his data. And I know for a _fact_ how you always feel responsible for his death because you feel responsible for _everything!"_

She looked down at her finger jabbing against his chest and the image from last night, of her pressing her hand against him as he pushed into her, came to mind once more. Her eyes drifted to the bruise on his neck, her mark,before rising to where she struck him that morning before finally settling on his warm, crimson gaze, wherein all his fears and self-loathing sat.

"Takato… I was there. You can say how much of a monster you are all you want, but I remember what happened. How you pulled back when you saw how your anger affected Guilmon by digivolving him to Megidramon. How you fixed things by biomerging with him and becoming Gallantmon. And you want to know what's more?"

She met his eyes levelly, her violet gaze _daring_ him to challenge her.

"When you were going to kill Beelzemon for everything that he did, you stopped because Jeri told you to. You could have ignored her, but you didn't."

Her free hand rising to his bruised face, she brushed her fingers against the bandage, caressing him gently.

"I don't think you would have done _anything_ to me that I didn't want you to, Takato. Drunk or not."

"Rika…" His eyes searched hers as a tear managed to slip free and trail a path down his face. He didn't break down, nor did he try to stop its path. His arms trembled, as if aching to hold her, but at the same time hesitant to do so. Damage had been done, and now it seemed that he no longer trusted himself to embrace her. She couldn't blame him. She could feel her own hesitation as well. _Something_ passed between them last night, though they no longer knew with any certainty what that was, and as a result fears lay within her heart as much as it did his.

She hated her fears.

 _I promised Renamon that I'd be the best version of me,_ she thought, remembering the message Henry helped her send into the digital world. She didn't know if Renamon ever received it, but her promise remained. She wouldn't think hesitantly anymore.

Tracing her hands around toward his back, she pulled Takato towards her into a powerful hug, catching him by surprise with an audible gasp. His arms rose slowly in response, as if afraid he would hurt her again, but upon feeling her trembling as she quietly wept against his cheek, his heart, already cracked, broke and his arms quickly closed around her protectively.

"Rika… Don't… It's…It's not your… It's all my fault! Please… Don't…" he stammered out, trying to find the words that would help her, but not knowing if they could be any good after what he had done. In response, Rika tightened her grip around him.

"Shut up," she replied in a hushed voice. Oh, how she missed him hugging her. "Just…shut up, okay?"

Takato did just that, and they continued holding one another, their bodies both shuddering in time with one another's pain. Yes, Rika felt certain now that whatever happened last night, Takato hadn't been thinking of himself and what he wanted. His 'stupid heart' – as she sometimes referred to it – wouldn't permit him to put his desires over her, and this…confirmed it.

"Takato?" she began quietly as he rocked her gently in his arms, massaging her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to think I'm digivolving into a model. I haven't eaten anything at all today."

As if to add credence to her words, Rika's stomach growled noisily, causing Takato to pause in his ministrations for a moment before resuming cautiously.

"Sorry about that," he said softly, knowing he shared considerable responsibility in her skipping of meals. "You want to get something to eat then?"

"That's a dumb question," she _harrumphed_ before tightening her grip around him. "My place. I don't want to go out for food made by a complete stranger. Could you cook something for just the two of us? I've still got a lot of unpacking to take care of and…you left something important behind."

"Left behi…Oh." _The key she gave me._

Takato paused on that, uncertain as to why she would want him to have it again. In spite of everything she said to him, his doubts still reigned. She was willing to allow him access to her home again? Why?

"Are you sure?"

Rika closed her eyes, her tears falling onto his shoulder, and once more she squeezed him tightly to her.

"Also a dumb question," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Come on. Let's go home."

Breaking apart, the pair gazed at one another for a moment, their hands taking the time to find one another before intertwining. They were both emotionally drained, but at the same time…cleansed. At least a little bit. Either way, they could begin the work of repairing the rift between them.

Hand in hand, they returned to her motorcycle before having to break their touch apart. Handing him his helmet, Rika took up her own and sat herself down. Upon noticing that he hadn't yet joined her or put his helmet on, she eyed him quizzically.

"What's up? You're not planning on walking home, are you?"

"No, I was just…thinking," he said, turning the helmet over in his hands.

Rika lifted an eyebrow. "And?"

"Just… This morning and…" He paused, looking down at the helmet for a moment before he turned his eyes back up at her, his expression serious. Rika's other eyebrow joined its twin, seeing a glow of maturity in those red irises of his.

"Rika," he began, his tone surprisingly firm and lacking in any of his jagged nerves. "No matter what happens, I promise not to let you down anymore."

A small smile drew across Rika's lips at that. She remembered seeing him like this before, whenever he declared they were going to do something to save the world, and even later, when saving the world meant the bakery or a project of some kind.

"I know you won't because you can't," she replied, lifting her helmet up and onto her head and sliding it down. Starting her motorcycle, she waited for him to finish strapping on his helmet and settling in behind her, his arms wrapping themselves around her waist. Her heart skipped a beat, becoming overcome with a strange sense of familiarity, as though they had done something similar, and not just on their way up here.

"Hang on to me," she urged before, together, they rejoined the road and sped off back to Shinjuku's heart.  
 **###**

"No more sake like what Kazu got us," Rika said to Jeri over the phone as she tore into another box, this one containing a number of books she read as a teenager. In the background, she heard Takato moving about, humming the theme song to the first Digimon season to himself as he busily cooked. A part of her wondered if he was doing that so she could keep track of where he was in her apartment, but she quickly shrugged it off. "I mean it Jeri. It caused us a lot of problems that we didn't need. If I see him bringing that stuff into my home again, he's getting a black eye!"

 _"I understand,"_ Jeri replied on the other end, having patiently listened to Rika explaining a long, but fairly summarized version of the day's events. _"Are…Are you_ sure _the two of you are all right though?"_

Rika glanced up at Takato's back as he stood over the stove, stirring the pot's contents. He was presently humming a different song now. Something called _Brave Heart,_ if she remembered correctly, and also related to the first Digimon season. Her eyes softened before she returned to her work.

"We'll get there," she said finally. "For now, it's one day at a time."

 _"Okay."_ Jeri paused for a moment. _"You know you can talk to me. If you have anything on your mind…"_

"I think we'll be okay. But I'll be sure to keep you in mind. Thanks."

 _"No problem."_ Jeri sniffed before huffing in irritation. _"Kami! You two better take better care of each other! Don't make me worry like that again, do you hear me?"_

Rika chuckled, picking up the first batch of books and making her way over to the wall where her bookshelf sat.

"We'll do our best," she promised, starting to set her collection in its new home. "I can't guarantee we won't make you worry though."

Movement from out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see Takato miming washing hands as he headed towards the bathroom. Their meal, she gathered, was ready. She nodded to him and began a countdown in her head.

 _"I guess I'll have to live with that,"_ Jeri sighed. _"Anyway, I'll be sure to pass your warning on to Kazu."_

"Thanks," Rika grinned as her countdown drew closer to zero. "I'll talk to you later."

With that, the two bid each other a final farewell and Rika hung up. Smiling, she turned around, just in time to find a blushing Takato approaching her, an all too familiar shirt and bra folded neatly in his hands.

"Um… I…ah…found these just lying on the bathroom floor."

Unable to help herself, her smile grew ever so slightly at the sight of his beat-red cheeks and she took her clothes from him.

"Thanks," she said as he shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head and looking evasive.

"What's the matter? Did you get turned on or something?"

"Er…" The crimson blush positively _flooded_ Takato's face at that. "Do I _really_ have to answer that? Kami… Why'd you leave it there? You've always been so neat about everything you even put Henry to shame!"

 _He really doesn't remember,_ she thought, eyeing her clothes thoughtfully before looking back at him.

"My apartment, my rules," she replied with a playful grin as she headed off in the direction of her bedroom. "And you didn't answer my question."

She paused at the entry, looking at him over her shoulder. Takato shifted again before looking her in the eye.

"Yeah, okay. A little bit."

Her smile drew up a little bit further.

"Thanks," she said simply before stepping into her room. Making her way over to her dresser, she opened it and set her things within their respective drawers.

"Say wha…? _Thanks?_ " she heard Takato's intelligent response from outside. Giving a light laugh, she exited her room, finding him fixing her with a confused look and a tilted head.

"Don't burn your brain out thinking too hard about it," she teased. "Anyway, everything's ready?"

Takato frowned for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. I mean, besides needing plates and everything, but…"

"We're covered on that," Rika grinned, passing him by. "Come on. I've got the TV all hooked up. Motorcross should be on now."

Scratching the back of his head, Takato followed her back into the kitchen, completely and utterly confused by his friend's words.

 _Well… As long as she's happy I guess…_ he thought, dishes clinking as Rika spooned their food into them.

 **###**

The day wore down for the two of them and the darkness of night slowly encapsulated the sky. Drawing off the blanket from her bed, Rika folded it in her arms and paused for a moment, gazing at its now bare surface. Memories from last night trickled into her mind but remained vague and scattered. She supposed they always would be, and in spite of everything, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. _Something_ happened between them last night that led to the two of them making love to one another. Did she confess and he accept? Or had it been in the reverse? Or had it just been mutual lust on their part being released from their constraints?

 _I don't think we can deny that we both want to be with each other now,_ she thought, smoothing out her blanket before turning around and heading for the door. _I just wish we remembered it better._

She sighed, pausing at the door, her hand brushing against the light before flicking it off, dousing her bedroom in darkness.

 _Well…next time we'll make a memory neither of us will forget._

She smiled at that, making her way over to the couch where Takato lay, completely conked out. The two of them had fallen asleep together at some point after they ate, their emotional exhaustion having finally overtaken them, and so far, she had been the only one to awaken, and had found herself on his shoulder, snoozing comfortably. It reminded her of that time she fell asleep at his place after a particularly hard day at the bakery. Pulling open the blanket, she sat down and draped it over the two of them. She felt Takato stir next to her, and sure enough, he woke.

"Rika…?" he began drowsily before noticing how dark it was outside through her window. "Oh man, what time is it?"

"Late," she replied, her attention turning to the television as it now played some program she didn't recognize, not used as she was to watching something so late at night. Takato shifted next to her, shaking his head.

"I should probably get going…" he began, only to be stopped as Rika laid her head against his shoulder once more.

"You could," she said softly, feeling his surprised gaze as her hand drifted to his leg, massaging it beneath the blanket. "Or you could stick it out here. I took the liberty of texting your folks to let them know not to worry since you were still asleep and that we'll explain everything tomorrow if you didn't wake up."

She paused, biting her lip, waiting for his answer. She hated feeling this way, feeling like she needed his presence, but the day had been something of an emotional rollercoaster for her – for _both_ of them – and her ability to pretend feeling any other way had become a bit frayed as a result.

She felt Takato shift against her again, and his arm drew around her, falling on her shoulder and pulling her close. She smiled, her head sliding down to the corner of his chest, where she heard the slow, steady drumbeat of Takato's heart. She loved that sound. No nervousness lay within it, leaving her feeling that the warmth of their shared blanket was soothing out their tension and the troubles of their hearts.

"Rika?" Takato began after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

Rika giggled. "Quite a lot, but not enough," she replied. She felt Takato laugh lightly against her, massaging her shoulder.

"Well, you are. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Probably squashed under a digimon's foot," she smirked. "Speaking of which, I remember how you were talking about traveling the world. Looking for a way to get to the digital world so we can find our partners again."

"Ah… Yeah," Takato nodded. Rika shifted against him, draping her arm across his waistline. _Kami,_ he was so warm. And his heart…

"Whenever you're ready to go, do you mind if I come with?" she murmured. "Two can search better than one after all, and it can get a little lonely, doing it by yourself."

Takato squeezed her shoulder before smoothing it out.

"I can't think of anyone better," he replied softly. At that, they both smiled, and Rika gave his waist a tight squeeze.

The night wore on, and as the program on the television advanced, so did the weight on their eyes, their hearts lulling each other to a sound sleep within which no nightmares disturbed. And that was how they found each other the next morning, where they greeted each other with warm smiles and trust.

The end.

 **###**

A/N: It's been a long while since I last wrote a story where its start to finish was known in my head, and in spite of the subject matter, something about it just felt like…I'm not sure. Like a dam had burst or something. I was writing everyday on this piece, even at work whenever I was able to steal a chance, and quite often on whatever I had handy, and when I wasn't writing, I was editing and making notes. My (current) notebook for fanfiction now has scarcely a dozen or so pages left in it as a result. XD

My thanks go out to those who have read and reviewed so far, as without your support, this work would not have continued. **cesar k-non, callofcamo, P.G, pittbuck, X.O, Naito Writer, KylarPierce, Grets, RightsofWrongs, Traveler,** and **Cubegame.**

Thanks for everything. :)

Sincerely,

-Crazyeight

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